Category Archives: cooking

cooking, health, news-commentary

What a waste

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283: Nature's colors

Last night, I watched The Big Waste on the Food Network. If you get a chance to see it in the next week (it airs again on Jan. 14th… check listings!), take the time to stop and watch.

Sure, its another timed cooking challenge between four chefs (Bobby Flay and Michael Symon versus Anne Burrell and Alex Guarnaschelli) that Food Network seems to thrive on these days. But this special is not about the challenge itself, its a staggering look at how much food we waste in this country every day.

I watched the show with a knot in my stomach, watching perfectly good food being just thrown out because of a blemish here or there. A box full of fresh fish on its way to the dumpster because the people that ordered it no longer needed it. Sweet corn ignored because the stalks got knocked over in high winds. Perfectly good, fresh, healthy food destined to just be thrown out with the garbage.

The show has made me rethink my shopping. I am not going to buy anything that will make me sick or that will go bad before I can eat it (that’s throwing money away), but if I can curb the waste by, say, purchasing a ripe tomato to use on my salad tonight (versus letting it sit there and ultimately be thrown out) then I am going to do that. It’s at least a step in the right direction.

Meanwhile, I hope perhaps some of the food that would normally go in the trash will eventually make its way to shelters. The homeless need a healthy meal, too. Why not donate the “unsellable” fruits and vegetables to a kitchen or shelter? I hope this show might start a push for that as well.

I had no idea what to expect when I sat down to watch “The Big Waste,” but I am sure glad I took the time to watch it. I learned a lot, and I felt ashamed of wasting food myself. I am going to make changes starting now.

cooking, health, recipe

Eating healthy is fun!

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Whole wheat french toast with fresh fruit.

I’ve mentioned many times lately that I am on a health kick right now. One of the biggest changes I’ve made is in what I eat.

A suspected milk allergy (I’ve not been tested… I’m just currently experimenting and testing myself) has taken me away from cheese, sour cream, whipped cream, coffee creamer, etc. Things that I loooooooooove to have, but that my body seems to be say nuh-uh to having.

I’ve switched over to vanilla flavored almond milk. It happens to have fewer calories and more calcium that regular milk! And guess what? It’s DELICIOUS. Now I use it in my coffee instead of creamer, and its just as good! And, again, fewer calories and no sinus flare-up from what I am assuming is an allergy!

I am all about fresh fruit… which is fun to eat all its own! I love making myself a little fruit salad at night. Or I put fruit on my cereal (often with a little cinnamon on top.) The other day, I made whole wheat french toast, and I buried it in fresh fruit. Who needs sugary syrup, when the fruit juices soak in instead?

Fresh veggies is my other big favorite. I am all about big salads, with the more goodies on it the better. I can make a bag of spinach leaves last over a week by putting a minimum of those with heaps of mushrooms, carrots, boiled egg, bell pepper, cucumber, and tomatoes on top!  Its refreshing on a top summer day. Low on calories. High in the YUMMY factor!

I’ve also started making a pasta dish using my fresh veggies. A little olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic, onion, bell pepper, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, a few fresh spinach leaves, salt, pepper, and a splash of white wine all sauteed together and poured over spaghetti noodles (either organic or atleast whole wheat, of course).  Sometimes I add some tuna, salmon, shrimp or chicken (go grab a rotisserie chicken at the store and tear it up to add in!). Sometimes I just go veggies. Either way, you end up with something you expect to find in some fancy restaurant.

It’s all SO delicious. Relatively cheap (if you can make your ingredients stretch over several days, the extra cost of the fresh vegetables and fruits is still cheaper than eating out). Makes you feel fantastic. Its FUN. And its all in the name of being healthy.

I’m no medical expect. I’m no fitness guru. I just like to read what is recommended by those people and find what works for me. Do you have any fun, fresh and healthy recipes you particular love? Please share!

PS – I do still love my beer and the occasional side of french fries. But I’m keeping those to a serious minimum. :)