healthy

4 Days before the much anticipated event and amid the hell of pre-Christmas . . .oops, I mean the joy of Christmas, I finally stumbled upon the inspiration for a fun lunch. Candy canes! The candy cane I stumbled across was actually a large chunk wedged tightly into the sole of my shoe, causing some mid arch discomfort and creating a sticky trail upon my floor, but who am I to speak harshly of my ill placed muse?

Whole wheat candy cane bread (this was shamefully easy - -make 2 batches of dough for whole wheat bread, but add food coloring to one batch while you are proofing the yeast). After the first rise, divide each piece of dough into 4 to 8 sections (depending on how many and how big you want your candy canes to be). Roll each section into a long rope (approx. 12 inches to fit in a laptop lunchbox). Twist a red rope and natural rope together (making sure not to leave any airspaces between the twists) and shape to resemble a candy cane. Allow to rise on cookie sheet and baste with egg yolk and water just before baking. You will probably have to adjust your cooking time (my recipe called for 25 mins. shaped as a loaf - but it took only 12 minutes as a candy cane). By the way, this project is kid friendly and I dare say it kept all mysterious thumping sounds and subsequent screaming at bay for at least 15 minutes.

Oh yeah. . I added a mixture of peanut butter and honey to spread on the bread and a fruit salad of mandarin segments and kiwis. Cream cheese and chopped cranberries would have looked prettier, but I didn't have any on hand.

Merry Christmas!

P.S. School is out for a couple of weeks so my postings will be scarce until early 2008.

waste generated: rectangle of unbleached parchment paper - - I think I am a parchment junkie.

Portoguese Kale soup with carrots, red russian kale, new potatoes, leeks (all from our CSA box), turkey sausage, Muir Glen fireroasted tomatoes and pinto beans; homemade half whole wheat (half bread flour) sesame rolls; and a pear.

The photo directly above, along with several other holiday cooking projects have usurped Aidan's lunches this week. He is not complaining.

Peanut butter and homemade applesauce on Rudy's organic honey whole wheat bread; Earth's Best chocolate milk; snack mix made with raisins, dried bananas, and pretzel sticks.

waste generated: milk box, plastic snack bag (and you may have thought I didn't actually own any of these - - one of my dirty little secrets is out)

I'm not sure if Smart Dogs are really all that smart, especially now that I notice their color blends a little too well with the very unnatural shade of orange found in my son's lunchbox, yet he loves them them and they are better than mystery meat.

Sliced smart dogs and organic Muir Glen ketchup for dipping; organice green leaf lettuce; 2 mini apples; almonds and raisins.

waste generated: none :)

Organic almond butter and homemade berry jam on a sprouted whole wheat tortilla; grapes; applesauce; and organic low salt potato chips.

waste generated: applesauce container & sticker

My CSA box has overflowith with cruciferous vegetables. This would be grand if my children found cauliflower, radishes, and broccoli appealing, but they do not. Additionally, it is the time of year when little black bugs like to call the broccoli home and no amount of washing, soaking and meticulous picking can ensure they have all disappeared. Like many people, my children are horrified by the idea that they may have ingested a bug (these ideals are not without their contradictions as any of my children would consume, with little hesitation, a stray m&m found on a public restroom floor).

In an attempt to make the broccoli more appetizing I have included it in a brown rice casserole with lots of swiss cheese and a sauce made of eggs and milk. The orange is from our tree and has been segmented so it can be eaten with a spoon (like a grapefruit); cucumber sticks and a new treat bar (made with honey, sesame, and almonds) round out this lunch.

waste generated: packaging from candy bar thingy

The curry did not go over well. This is my apology, which was met with great enthusiasm:

Organic bow tie/ farfalle pasta with olive oil and grated pecorino cheese; cheese stick; slices of homemade organic whole wheat baguette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping sauce.

The olive oil, in both instances, was a mix of olive and flaxseed oil for some added nutrition. I packed soymilk (not pictured) with a little protein powder instead of the usual water.

waste generated: cheesestick wrapper

Spring rolls made with rice paper wraps stuffed with shredded carrots, red cabbage, lettuce, and tofu, served with slightly spicy peanut sauce for dipping. Edamame, tamari flavored rice crackers, and dried sweet banana chips.

The chopsticks are decorative and stayed home with me.

waste generated: none

I felt rather clever when I came up with this themed lunch, but, if I am to be honest with myself, it was really laziness disguised with a clever title.

Miniature apples (how cute are they?); tangerine; banana; hardboiled egg; and pistachios. It's both a lunch and an exercise for developing fine motor skills.

waste generated: none :)

The chilly weather has finally taken hold, and for me, nothing says cold weather is here like hot soup and a sandwich. Today's version of that cold weather staple: Mexican Tomato Lime Tortilla Soup from Moosewood Cookbook (incredibly fast and easy); quesadillas made with sprouted wheat tortillas, monterrey jack cheese, chicken, corn and black beans; whole persimmon from a neighbor's tree; and berry muffin made with whole wheat and almond meal.

Don't worry, I didn't actually pack it all in that little camp pan, although that wouldn't be the worst idea I have ever had. The quesadilla and muffin packed nicely wrapped in the bandana. The persimmon was fine on its own and the funny little pan stayed home with me.

waste generated: none :)

I'm pretty sure some fast food restaurant started this concept (the french toast stick) a decade ago and, in fact, I do recall balancing said sticks on my lap while driving home from work one morning (this would be back in the days when I thought pulling all nighters at the office made me important and sophisticated). Now I am using that food of desperation for my son's lunch and writing about it. Have I evolved at all? I'll let you be the judge.

French toast sticks on whole wheat bread; maple syrup for dipping; half a Bosc pear; trail mix with peanuts, dried cranberries, almonds, raisins, and dried apricots.

waste generated: none :)

This calzone is made with mostly broccoli with a little ricotta and mozzarella all stuffed into a whole wheat crust. Pizza sauce on the side for dipping; kalamata olives; lettuce and red bell peppers. Frozen chocolate peanut butter bars for dessert (made with crushed Mid-Del wholewheat graham crackers, homemade organic peanut butter, and melted dark chocolate chips).

waste generated: small piece of unbleached parchment paper

Cream cheese and homemade apricot jam on sprouted whole wheat bread "wheels"; pineapple chunks; sweet and spicy pecans mixed with plain pecans; and multigrain flake cereal.

waste generated: none :)

If I am obsessed with gourds, my son is obsessed with lunchables. I don't believe that this will entirely soothe the itch, but I am hoping it will bring us closer to common ground. By the way, this is my children's favorite family dinner and the leftovers pack nicely with no alterations.

Make Your Own Taco Kit (all ingredients are organic): homemade corn and wholewheat flour tortillas; shredded lettuce; chopped tomatoes; shredded cheddar; and ground buffalo meat seasoned with tomato sauce, onions, cumin, chili powder and salt.

waste generated: square of wax paper

Tuna salad (made with line caught tuna, canola mayo, dijon mustard, shredded carrots, slivers of celery and capers) wrap on a sprouted wheat tortilla with crisp apple matchsticks; apple chunks; raw almonds; and all bran crackers.

waste generated: strip of wax paper used to hold wraps together

Today I was given instructions: "something warm that is not soup."

Annies whole wheat macaroni and cheese made with plain yogurt (instead of milk & butter) with peas and wheat germ. I put frozen peas in the colander and dump the boiling pasta on top, Instantly unfrozen, but not mushy, peas. I throw in a handful of raw wheat germ at the very end.

Fully Belly Farm nantes carrots, peeled but end left untrimmed (wrapped in the versatile, re-useable wrap-n-mat), and sliced cucumbers with Annie's Cowgirl Ranch dressing.

waste generated: one paper napkin leftover from a pizza delivery

If you're buying organic dairy products because you want healthier dairy products, be careful what brands you buy.

If you haven't already heard, Aurora Dairy in Colorado, although it has organic status is a factory farm. There is a lot of controversy around Aurora Dairy already because of its large scale operation with little space for the animals. It does not meet the criteria for the typical organic dairy. Yet it continues to produce dairy products under the organic label.

If you want truly organic quality dairy products from healthy animals raised in clean, healthy environments, you will want to avoid products from Aurora Dairy. They sell their products under the following labels:

• Costco's "Kirkland Signature"
  
• Safeway's "O" organics brand
  
• Publix's "High Meadows"
  
• Giant's "Natures Promise"
  
• UNFI's "Woodstock Farms"

It is true. I'm obsessed with gourds, and to be more specific, I'm obsessed with having my eldest child relish in the culinary excitement of a stuffed gourd. Accordingly, this kid-friendly version was born. . . WITCHES BREW: hollowed out real pumpkin placed in the freezer for one hour then dusted with wheat germ and filled with Stonyfield Farms Organic Chocolate Yogurt (cut with Nancy's plain yogurt to cut down on the frightening amount of sugar), gummy eyeball (I know, more sugar - -but this is Halloween and I just couldn't figure out how to create an eyeball out of the swiss chard in my vegetable drawer). The bugs on top of and under the lid are plastic toys that were party favors we received. Mi-Del Whole Wheat Graham Crackers wrapped in a cloth napkin with a Halloween sticker; banana; roasted pumpkin seeds; water in a SIGG bottle; and a plastic spoon made larger and more interesting with bits of cardboard, paper, and stickers I scrounged up from the kids' art cabinet. The lunch sack in the back is a re-useable Trick-or-Treat bag that will double as a lunch bag today.

waste generated: :( lots. stickers, bits of paper, cardboard and tape, disposable plastic spoon (however, if it finds its way home and will be washed and re-used); 3 toothpicks

Yes. Pie for lunch.

Miniature Squash pie (like pumpkin pie, just made with winter squash and a little less sugar & spice) with a whole wheat crust; almonds & dried cranberries; chunks of chicken (a breast stolen from the dinner crockpot with all identifying sauce stealthily removed and chopped into kid friendly bites).

waste generated: 0, :) the little pie tin was purchased at a yardsale and can be used over and over again

This lunch was met with much more enthusiasm. Corn on the cob and red bell pepper strips from Fully Belly Farm (yes, the summer veggies are still finding their way into our CSA box - - gotta love California!); whole wheat and rainbow shells with olive oil and a little wheat germ sprinkled on top; Boca Meatless Chik-N Nuggets and ketchup (a cop-out, I know, but a gal starts to lose interest after her stuffed acorn squash is rebuffed).

waste generated: nothing evident, but I will refrain from my diatribe on the packaging and other waste associated with processed foods

As I assembled this masterpiece my son came barreling through the kitchen and scoffed at me. . . "Mom, that ISN'T for ME, is it?" I begged him to try the delicious cold green beans with almonds in a lemon viniagrette, thinking for sure I'd convince him that indeed this lunch was for him. Even the vegan lemon cookie from Sunflower Baking Company wasn't enough to persuade him that acorn squash stuffed with quinoa, almonds and cherries is both attractive and delicious. However, he did request the small slice of homemade wheatberry walnut bread to eat as a snack. Consolation prize: a yummy lunch for me.

waste generated: one plastic cookie wrapper

You've probably heard that processed foods are bad for you. You may have even cut back or cut them out for the most part.

New research, published in the Journal of Obesity in September, shows that eating processed food is causing liver disease in children.

"According to an article from CanWest News Service, a 10 year old girl became the first child diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in 2000. Now in 2007, liver disease is being found in 5-7 year olds with the youngest child reported being two years old. Fatty liver disease is now showing up in approximately one in every three obese children."

Read the full article here.

Learn more about healthy eating and how to get your kids to eat healthy food.

Wheatberry and greenbean salad with oranges, dried cranberries, blue cheese, candied pecans and a balsamic olive oil vinaigrette; lettuce leaves for filling; carrots; and crackers.

waste generated: none :)

Well, apparently, there are some things my son will not eat cold, namely, scrambled eggs. Lesson learned, but they sure did look pretty. The rest of the lunch was well received.

Scrambled eggs with a side of ketchup (topped with a Halloween muffin tin liner, solely for visual effect); whole wheat toast with cinammon sugar cut into flower shapes; mango with 2 maraschino cherries; cashews and raisins.

waste generated: 2 muffin tin liners

Chicken skewers (chicken stolen from the browning pan at dinner and speared with pumpkin toothpicks); cranberry sauce; sliced pears; and homemade cake with chocolate ganache.

waste generated: 3 pumpkin novelty toothpicks

O.K., so truth be told, I have no idea what one might eat on a picnic in Tuscany - -and I assure you I did not send my son off to school with a flask of red wine. . . .but, well, it FEELS like a Tuscan Picnic to me.

Pizza Sandwich - - crusty Pugliese bread with leftover spaghetti sauce and melted mozarella, kalamata olives, apple, and a flask of . . .

waste generated: 0 :) (sandwich wrapped in a re-useable wrap-n-mat from reuseablebags.com)

This lunch was created with leftovers from last night's dinner of Huevos Rancheros - -o.k. Huevos Ranchos for the adults. Scrambled Eggs and tortillas for the munchkins.

Bean and cheese tacos (homemade organic corn and wholewheat flour tortillas with black beans and melted cheese - -it is surprising what my son will eat cold); spinach leaves with spicy yogurt sauce (yogurt with a little enchilada sauce mixed in); blackbean tortilla chips; and organic grapes (fyi: conventional grapes are on the top ten list of fruits being high in pesticide residue). The limes are simply there for photo presentation. Unnecessary? Yes. But I think it shows a part of my personality. The crazy part, but a part nonetheless.

waste generated: 0 :)

The government agencies that are supposed to be protecting us are doing just the opposite!

I have always recommended that when you buy strawberries, you should choose organic because of the pesticides used on strawberries.

The EPA has just approved a new pesticide and fumigant, methyl iodide, to be used mostly in fields growing strawberries in California and Florida. It is also approved for use with tomatoes, peppers, ornamentals, turf, trees and vines.

Methyl iodide is a carcinogen; it causes cancer. It is a neurotoxin; it causes damage to your nervous system. "In a letter sent last month to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, 54 scientists, mostly chemists, warned that "pregnant women and the fetus, children, the elderly, farmworkers and other people living near application sites would be at serious risk."

Full story...

More healthy eating information...

I'd love to start this blog with something a bit more creative. . perhaps a savory pumpkin soup served in a minature hollowed out pumpkin, complete with carrying handle. However, this was devised in the real world where I was probably putting it together while simultaneously wrestling something dangerous out of one of my toddlers' hands.

Pumpkin shaped Almond Butter and Sliced Apple Sandwich decorated with apple pieces; Homemade Pumpkin shaped Whole Wheat Sugar Cookie with sprinkles; Whole Wheat Organic Pretzel Sticks; grape and apple skewers; and orange juice.

Watch out! Here comes more genetically engineered (GE) ingredients, UNLABELED, on the grocery store shelves and in your food. If you buy processed foods containing sugar, if they are not organic, it's very likely that they will contain GE sugar in 2008. The processed food on the grocery store shelves already contain UNLABELED GE soy and corn ingredients. Now they'll also have the addition of GE sugar from biotech beets.

Take action now to stop Genetically Engineered Sugar.

Discover how to choose food with safe, non-GE ingredients in FOOD ADDITIVES: A Shopper's Guide...

The USDA Says that almonds labeled as "raw" or "organic" must be pasteurized, effective September 1, 2007, unless thousands of consumers take action NOW!

This law will effectively eliminate the availablity of raw almonds in the U.S., while still labeling them as raw.

Pasteurizing almonds will reduce the nutritional value that is obtained from truly raw almonds.

One of the proposed methods for pasteurizing almonds involves using propylene oxide, a possible carcinogen according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. This chemical is banned in Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

Let the USDA know that you want your raw almonds really raw! Take action here.

Get more information on healthy eating here.

New class taught by Dr. Christine H. Farlow, D.C. in Escondido, CA on July 11 and 18, 2007.

Read more about Dr. Farlow in the right hand column of this blog.

If you live in San Diego County or will be visiting at this time come and join us. Get information on how you can attend here.

Teach your kids to eat healthfully and they will learn healthy eating habits that will reward them with a lifetime of good health. All kids can be taught to be healthy eaters. The best time to start is when they are infants. But even older children, with the proper encouragement and motivation, can learn to eat healthfully and enjoy healthy food. More...

McDonald's is starting a new marketing campaign, emphasizing their "healthy" foods... their salads.

Let's take a look at one of their salads, the Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken and see how healthy it really is. This is a good representative example of the salads on their menu.

Ingredients:
Salad Mix, Grilled Chicken Breast Filet, Southwest Vegetable Blend, Cilantro Lime Glaze, Shredded Cheddar/Jack Cheese, Limes, Chili Lime Tortilla Strips, Liquid Margarine.

Just looking at these ingredients, you might say, not bad, except for the liquid margarine.

Let's take a little closer look at the individual ingredients:

Salad Mix. This is the best part of the salad. It contains a variety of different lettuces and greens.

Grilled Chicken Breast Filet. It's amazing that grilled chicken could have so many ingredients. It contains a variety of ingredients that are hidden sources of MSG, like maltodextrin, spices, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed proteins, chicken broth and natural flavors. It also contains the heart "unhealthy" trans fats from hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated soy and cottonseed oils. There's a few other chemical food additives, artificial flavors and preservatives too.

Southwest Vegetable Blend is good. It contains corn, black beans and a few other ingredients that are fine.

Cilantro Lime Glaze contains sugar, soy, spice (potential hidden MSG) and some nasty food additives, including propylene glycol alginate and sodium benzoate.

Shredded Cheddar/Jack Cheese has various different cheeses, un-named enzymes and natamycin, an antifungal drug to prevent mold.

Limes. Plain and simple lime wedges.

Chili Lime Tortilla Strips contain various hidden sources of MSG. They also contain two food additives, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, that are used ONLY when MSG is added to food. In addition, they contain soy.

Liquid Margarine contains both hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated soy and cottonseed oils, artificial flavors and preservatives.

The Salad dressing choices are Newman's Own. Although I think that the concept Paul Newman uses in donating the profits from the sale of his products to charity is wonderful, I don't like the ingredients he uses. They all contain soybean oil and spices (source of hidden MSG). Some varieties contain even more objectionable ingredients.

So, don't be fooled by McDonald's "healthy" marketing. Their so-called "healthy" selections are still full of MSG, trans fats from hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, soy and other harmful food additives.

Learn what's really healthy to eat.

Find out why soy is not a healthy food.

Snacks and Convenience Foods

What To Eat

• potato chips (infrequently)
  
  • baked
    
  • no chemical additives
  
  
• fake french fries - bake instead of frying
  
  
• carob, unsweetened
  
  
• baked goods
  
  • fruit juice sweetened
    
  • whole grain flours
    
  • no chemical additives

A recent study by the Prevention Institute evaluated the fruit content of children's foods. They found that some of the foods actually contained NO real fruit at all.

Here are some of the "fruit" products with NO fruit in them:

• Berry Berry Kix
  
• Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries
  
• Froot Loops
  
• Fruity Cheerios
  
• Trix Cereal
  
• Trix Yogurt (Strawberry Kiwi)
  
• Nestle Nesquick Milk and Drink Mix (Strawberry)
  
• Yoplait Go-Gurt Yogurt (Strawberry Splash)

If you look at color to make sure your beef is fresh, you may be deceived!

The food industry is up to their tricks again to fool the consumer into believing the food they're buying is fresher and healthier than it really is.

The majority of U.S. beef producers are injecting their beef with carbon monoxide to give it that just cut pink color. This process makes rancid meats appear fresh!

The FDA approved this procedure without any public comment.

Watch the video.

How do you make sure that the beef you eat is really fresh and not contaminated with carbonmonoxide? Buy organic.

Find more healthy eating information here.

What do you get when you combine sugar and caffeine?
Buzz Donuts and Buzzed Bagels.

This is the food industry's attempt to get you addicted to baked goods! Their target market is the college population specifically and Generation Y in general. Robert Bohannon, the inventor of this technology, has approached Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks to form partnerships for selling these caffeine-contaminated unhealthy foods.

Caffeine is actually a psychoactive, addictive drug. It can cause headaches, irritability, fertility problems, increase risk of miscarriage, birth defects, heart disease, depression, nervousness, behavioral changes, insomnia and more. Caffeine should NEVER be given to kids.

Get the real facts about Healthy Eating now!

Note: Everyone is a unique individual and even generally accepted healthy foods may not be what your body needs to be healthy now. Find out how to feed your unique nutritional needs.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTHY EATING

What To Avoid

Condiments

• ketchup with
  
  • added sugar
    
  • chemical additives
  
  
• mustard with added
  
  • sugar
    
  • chemical additives
  
  
• mayonnaise with
  
  • sugar
    
  • canola oil
    
  • soybean oil
    
  • hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils
    
  • chemical additives
  
  
• jams and jellies with
  
  • added sugar
    
  • chemical additives
  
  
• sauces with
  
  • sweeteners
    
  • MSG
    
  • other chemical additives
  
  
• other condiments with
  
  • sweeteners
    
  • chemical additives

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTHY EATING

What To Eat

Condiments

• ketchup substitute
  
  • sugar free
    
  • chemical free
  
  
• mustard
  
  • sugar free
    
  • chemical free
  
  
• mayonnaise
  
  • no sugar
    
  • no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils
    
  • no chemical additives
  
  
• jams and jellies
  
  • fruit juice sweetened
    
  • no chemical additives

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTHY EATING

What To Avoid

Seasonings

• common table salt
  
  
• black pepper
  
  
• white pepper
  
  
• MSG
  
  
• irradiated herbs and spices
  
  
• soy sauce, tamari
  
  
• Dr. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTHY EATING

What To Eat

Seasonings

• Celtic sea salt
  
  
• Herbamare
  
  
• seaweed seasonings
  
  • dulse
    
  • kelp
  
  
• herbs and spices (non-irradiated)
  
  
• cayenne pepper