31 Days – Saving Money & Time When Eating Clean

October 7, 2013

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making-vegetable-stock to see the entire 31 Days series, click here. And to get updates via Facebook, please visit my For the Love Of page and add my posts to your feed

I’ve already prepared you that to eat clean will some take extra time out of your day. Depending on how much time you already spent in the kitchen, you may be spending a bit more or a lot more time than you’re used to, preparing meals from scratch. But it doesn’t have to take the life out of you, and if you learn to be resourceful, it doesn’t have to drain you of your savings either.

I recently started reading An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler, and in her introduction she describes the book as one about eating affordably, responsibly and well, and because doing so relies on cooking, it is mostly about that. In one of her very first chapters, she writes about boiling water, and how you can boil many items one right after each other while cooking, with little to no extra effort. It was a concept that I had never thought about, but makes perfect sense.

So I present to you, the concept of “catching your tails” to save some time and money.

During your cooking sessions, start saving trimmings of veggies in a ziploc bag or a container of some sort, whichever will easily fit in the fridge for 1-2 days, as long as it takes you to build up a storage of scrap ends. This scrap pile believe it or not, only took me 1 day to build on. Between kale stems from the morning’s juice session, asparagus ends that were a bit too tough, and some carrots and mushroom caps, it made a nice potpourri of veggies for my broth to cook in. vegetable-scraps-for-stock

The next time you’re going to boil a pot of water to make some pasta or veggies, keep the water boiling and once you’re done cooking your first round of food, throw in your veggie scraps, along with some salt and pepper, and let them simmer on the stove for an hour or so. Depending on the size of your pot and how much water evaporated during your initial cooking session, you may have to add some extra water but that ain’t no thing. Once done, strain out the scraps and behold the sight of homemade vegetable broth.

Let cool, and place in quart size freezer bags, in 2-3 cup increments, and freeze for up to 4-6 months. Make sure to label your bags! Or store in the fridge in mason jars or tupperware for a couple of weeks.

The same thing can be achieved in the crock pot and let it cook over night, but by doing it the former way, you save yourself an extra pot to wash.

What does this have to do with clean eating? Well, eating clean is as much about a way of thinking as it is about a way of eating. By making my own broth, I got to see exactly what was put into it, eliminating preservatives and excess salt. I made use out of my nice organic scraps that I paid good money for, which would have otherwise gone to waste. And I reduced my carbon footprint by buying one less package of food stuff at the grocery store. Oh, and I saved water too by reusing the same pot of boiling water I used for cooking. Not to mention I saved money while doing it. The last time I checked, a quart of organic vegetable broth would run me about $3.99.

With little tweaks and nips here and there, I put in minimal extra effort, and save myself small bits of cash here and there, which frees up money for other more expensive items like pastured eggs or grass fed meats.

Whether your goal is to just switch over some of your produce purchases from non-organic to organic, or to start buying pastured eggs, or if you have loftier goals of eliminating all factor farmed meats, these small steps you can take to save money will help get you to your goal, with a bit less heartache at the checkout line.


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31 Days of Clean Eating – Priming Your Kitchen

October 4, 2013

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In order to get going, we must first prime our kitchen. Let me start by saying that for those with some sort of health issues and concerns, supplemental dietary items may be necessary and a blessing for those who want to eat a variety of foods. I don’t mean to dismiss gluten-free alternatives and all the various sugar substitutes in existence. But for the basis of evening the playing field, we’ll assume that those reading this just want to clean up their diet and eliminate the processed crap, like me. Sound good? With that being said, I’ve spent way too much money on odd ingredients for random recipes in Gwyneth’s book, which I doubt I will be getting much use out of. I am now in possession of 9 different types of flour, but only seem to cook and bake with 2-3, and I own brown rice syrup, of which I’ve only used 1/4 cup. I’m going to limit the following list to fresh, basic, and natural ingredients as much as possible.

In the Pantry
Oils & Vinegars – you’ll want to stock up on some good good quality oils and an array of basic vinegars (I sounds like Ina Garten now, don’t I?). Olive oil is a must, then next get a somall bottle of sesame oil. It adds a beautifully distinctive flavor to veggies and stir-frys. Coconut oil is amazing as well, and is great for frying eggs, in smoothies and for baking. I bought a bottle of grapeseed oil because of its high smoking point, after I ditched canola oil, but after the bottle was empty I’ve managed to get by with just the 3 previous oils just fine. For vinegars, you’ll want an acid alternative to lemons & limes for making various dressings and marinades. Balsamic, red wine, white wine and rice vinegar are all important and get used on a regular basis. I bought a $6 bottle of Plum Red Wine vinegar based on a Gwyneth recipe and have only used it once; I think I could’ve easily subbed regular red wine vinegar. Live and learn.

Nut Butters – there’s not a lot of difference between peanut butter and almond butter if your peanut butter is made the all natural way and cold-pressed. Almond butter is a bit lower in calories and of course you don’t have to deal with the fear of peanut allergies, but it’s also more expensive. this is a personal call, but either way a good nut butter is an excellent clean protein that is filling and tastes good.

Seeds & Grains – quinoa, brown rice and a variety of nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds, raw almonds and raw cashews, to snack on and use in different meals and smoothies. Sesame seeds are a fun and nutritious way to add bite and flavor to meals as well. A trick I learned from GP is to soak your almonds in water overnight to soften the outer shell and make them easier to digest and extract nutrients from. Cool, huh?

Flours – for baking and making pizza dough, dredging meats in and maybe even for making bread, a good whole wheat flour is a must! I also have unbleached white flour for more traditional recipes, as well as spelt flour. Rice flour is important if you want a gluten free alternative and it is shown to have more fiber which can help you feel fuller longer, thus possibly aiding in weight loss. I haven’t had a ton of success cooking with it though, so I don’t love it, but I keep a bag of it on hand if I’m trying a new recipe and don’t want to try and miss with swapping out flours. Cup4Cup is supposed to be a great gluten free flour, although I haven’t personally cooked or baked with it.

Spices – goodness you can fill a spice rack with various spices quicker than anything, but what are the main ones I seem to be cooking with lately? Sea salt and fresh ground pepper for starters. I use them, and with a liberal hand, in almost everything. After that, weekly go-to spices include cumin, which I add to canned beans to give more flavor, sprinkle in Spanish rice and use in most Mexican inspired dishes. Some sort of chile powder is important, and I use ancho chili powder and cayenne quite often. Oregano, bay leaves, and dried herbs like thyme, sage and basil are great, or you can go for herbs de Provence for all those flavors tossed into one shaker. Gwyneth got me to buy a can of Old Bay Seasoning and I’ve yet to use the damn thing. I do love my $10 box of Maldon Sea Salt though. Man that stuff is good! For the sweet side, cinnamon, almond and vanilla extract and ground cloves are the basis of what you need. There are tens of other herbs and spices you can load up on, but these pantry staples will do you just fine in getting started.

Canned goods – diced tomatoes, stock if you don’t make your own, and various beans including garbanzo, black, pinto and great northern beans, can always be found in my cabinet. Diced tomatoes make most meat dishes less dry and add flavor, and beans are a great and cheap way to add protein to salads and burritos when you want to skip the meat.

Fresh Ingredients
Fresh Herbs – because you will be eliminating lots of butter and flavor packets and shakers from your cooking, you’ll start relying on fresh herbs for anything and everything. They add tremendous flavor and make everything look prettier too! Parsley, cilantro and basil are the main staples and while they each have their distinctive flavor, one can often be subbed for the other, especially in a cooked dish. I add fresh herbs to ground meats to make burgers and meat balls and it adds tremendous depth of flavor.

Fruits – try to source both fruits and veggies locally and as much as possible, stick with in-season produce because it will taste better and usually hasn’t been trucked in from another state or country. Because clean eating is based on knowing where your food comes from as much as possible, there’s very much an ethical component to eating that I’d never considered before starting all of this. I now try to be more mindful of how far my food has had to travel, especially produce, to reach me. I don’t think I can ever give up bananas though. Eat Wild is a good resource to help you source local meats and dairy products, and the site will soon have a fruit and vegetable component to it as well. Also, Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle was a good read which got me really thinking about in-season produce and learning about the natural life and growing cycle of many of our fruits and vegetables, although here in California it’s a bit tricky since our climate allows for a much more flexible growing season. But with all that being said, the fruits I keep on hand throughout the year are citrus of some sort for sauces, dips, dressings and juicing, apples, bananas and frozen berries. Frozen fruits and veggies are just as nutritious as fresh so don’t blow them off.

Veggies – cucumbers, kale, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, onions and peppers can all be regularly found in my fridge. Beets and sweet potatoes are also found on my counter as well. Grill up peppers and onions, roast beets and onions in some olive oil, or just a plain sweet potato. Juice carrots and beets or kale and cucumber for veggie juice. Veggies are usually less expensive than meats too and dark leafy greens are a great source of protein, so always make sure to have a plethora of fresh (or frozen veggies which aren’t in season) on hand to play around with.

Dairy – This is totally a matter of preference, whether you want to eliminate dairy or not. After experimenting for a couple of months, I now stick with dairy for my tea and coffee drinks, but use almond milk for everything else, including smoothies and cereal. Of course the kids drink regular cow’s milk though, but I have switched to organic, pasteurized milk (not ultra-pasteurized, often referred to as dead milk). For butter I use Kerrygold grass-fed butter and the Earths Balance is a yummy olive oil based spread if you’re going the dairy-free route. I’ve experimented with goat’s milk yogurt and it tastes fine and is supposed to be easier to digest than cow’s milk yogurt because of the way the proteins break down, but I’ve just started eating less yogurt overall. Goat’s milk yogurt makes a killer cucumber yogurt dip and tastes awesome on potatoes and chilis. Less calories too! We have thrown out margarine, coffee mate creamer and those packaged American cheese slices 🙂

Gosh I could keep going on and on, and as I go on in this series I promise to get into more details about things, but I wanted to lay the ground work these first few days on just getting started. The point of this very long and detailed post is that clean eating doesn’t mean you have to fill your pantry and fridge with tons of diet foods and nonsense ingredients you won’t need. I did at first and as I said, have wasted some money along the way. Don’t make the same mistakes as me though 🙂 I hope the take-away from this post is that to eat clean, you just have to focus on knowing where your food comes from, and using fresh, simple and basic ingredients to build clean meals out of.

Any questions?

My Babble Posts:
8 Healthy Foods I Can’t Get My Kids To Eat!

The Government Shutdown Could Affect the Health Of Our Food Supply


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Clean Eating – Getting Started

October 3, 2013

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The beauty of clean eating is that is highly adaptable to the individual’s specific needs. The only problem with that is that there is no specific guideline and fast and steady rule book telling you how to eat, at what times, and in what amounts. While I appreciate this, I know others may find this very frustrating. Some of us want a clear cut road to success, but the truth is, everyone’s dietary needs are different, and when it comes to food, one size shoe does not fit all.

Flexibility though, was the main reason why I was even willing to give clean eating a go. I overall ate a well-rounded diet, but indulged and caved to convenience far too often throughout the week. I knew I wanted to clean up the rough edges of my family’s diet, but I didn’t know where to start. I’ll start by saying I don’t believe in fad-diets, including paleo, Atkins, and goodness knows how many others like it in existence. I do not suffer from debilitating ailments, aside from some indigestion and heartburn, I wasn’t trying to lose 50 lbs and I wasn’t trying to look for an alternative cure to some scary illness. All those things are serious considerations and good reasons to start a strict dietary regimen. But for just your average women who was trying to live better, one meal at a time, clean eating seemed like the right road for me to take.

Everything and everyone will have a different take on clean eating and what it means. For some extremists, it means eliminating all dairy products, red meat, gluten and anything even remotely processed at all, and drinking a shit ton of green juice. While I tried out several of those options in the beginning of this journey 4 months ago, including dairy and gluten elimination, I’ve softened on both because my body functions just fine with both. In some areas, like the meats, I’ve become much more strict and hardened, allowing for only grass fed and pastured meat and poultry into our diet. I’ll get into how I’ve cut down on those things later in the series, but know that currently, I do follow a very loose version of clean eating.

If you’re looking for a strict meal plan, I’ll probably disappoint you. If you like the idea of flexibility, then I’m your girl.

Find a Road Map
As you know, I started slowly by experimenting with recipes from Gwyneth’s book. It doesn’t have to be Gwyneth’s book you start with, but I do recommend that you start with some cookbook or blog that incorporates many different types of healthy, clean recipes that are good and all in one place. The thought of going to one book to get vegetarian recipes, and another book to learn about eliminating dairy, and a different blog to get a feel at gluten free was just way too overwhelming. I liked that her book had it all in one place. Most recipes are dairy free, gluten free, and offer a whole host of alternatives to refined sugars, from maple syrup to raw honey. If anyone can recommend any other great blogs that aren’t too extreme, i.e., only vegan or strictly gluten free, please feel free to recommend in the comments. I know not everyone is into the idea of Gwyneth.

Start Slow
I first started by cooking out of the book for meals at home. I learned that risotto can taste just as delicious sans butter and cream, and that veggie salads can be filling. When dining out though, I gave myself a pass and ate what sounded good at the time. You can read how being non-committal in the beginning made my transition to clean eating easier in this Babble post. By starting off slow, you’ll also avoid spending an entire mortgage payment on your first month’s grocery bill, by switching over all your food items. Start slow, see what works for you and go from there. I soon discovered that I really didn’t miss or need cheese as much as I once thought. I did discover though that there is no better substitute for cream in your coffee than real cream, and I gave it a valiant effort trying to find an alternative.

Don’t Go All Vegan On Your Family
Going along with starting slow, is don’t go all extreme on your family all at once, and one day switch all your cooking to one strict way of eating. The troops will revolt and you’ll end up dazed and frustrated, only to give up your quest for a healthier diet. Find some good recipes that will produce yummy tasting food so you, or your family, won’t even feel like you’re missing out on anything.

The Truth About Clean Eating
My biggest lesson over these last 4 months, is that you are going to have to cook, and cook a lot. I’m not going to lie. The main way to really eat food that is as close to its natural state, is to prepare it yourself. Hand selecting the ingredients, eliminating additives and preservatives, and using the freshest produce and meats available is the most direct road to clean eating. I’ve always been leery of diet bars and protein shakes and supplements. But when you can manage your diet from the beginning yourself, you get to be the one in control. And it’s the best way to save money because when you cut down on boxes and jars and cans, you can truly make a dent in your grocery bill. Don’t worry, there will be no crash courses in canning. I said cut down, not eliminate. Goodness knows every mom needs a box of mac n’ cheese up her sleeve.

So get ready, because we’re going to be doing a lot of cooking this month. But I promise to make it as fun as possible. Any questions so far?

To read the intro to my 31 Days Series on Clean Eating Made Approachable and Affordable, go here.


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31 Days Of Clean Eating Made Approachable and Affordable

October 2, 2013

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31-Days of Clean Eating My first post in my first attempt at the 31 Days series, and I’ve already made a blunder, or two.  I’m starting this a day late, and I’m making the promise to make the series affordable.  Let me see if I can correct and clarify myself.

I’ve been writing for someone else, and receiving compensation for said writing, for over a year now.  To get paid for something I innately love to do, and can do from the comfort of my home is a blessing, one which I do not take for granted.  However, it slowly started to zap my energy for writing here.  It did not zap my creativity for topics, but the time and energy, mostly found at night, to write about said topics, it surely did.  I’ve fallen into bad habits, and I want to try to get back into writing consistently here in this space.  While the 31 Days series is terrifying to me, last night I decided to take the challenge to fall back in love with writing, and to commit myself to writing here on a daily basis for the next 31 days, on the same topic.

So why write on clean eating, and not on style or DIY?  While I still love style and crafts, as I said last week, this season in my life is calling me to the kitchen.  And being in the kitchen nourishes my family and me as a whole, much more so than clever crafts and cute clothes.  Don’t get me wrong, looking good and feeling good still go hand in hand for me, and I love expressing and fostering creativity with my kids through arts and crafts.  But I just can’t write about it for 31 days straight, while I have been focusing such a huge part of my time and energy into cultivating a new way of eating for me and my family.

This is my 31 Days landing page if you will, and I feel a bit of pressure to eloquently explain myself to those I’m welcoming to my space here for the first time.  I’ll try to do my best, in the form of a Q and A, so here goes.

How did Gwyneth get this all started?
You can read my very first post on how Gwyneth Made Me Do It here. Basically, one day on a whim I checked out her book It’s All Good from the library. I am not the biggest fan of Gwyneth, but I was curious, and ended up falling in love with it. I loved the simple approach to clean eating, and the recipes, of which I’ve tried over 50 now, were mostly all delicious and never left me feeling like I was sacrificing taste for health.

How does Instagram play into this?
I created the GMMDI Instagram account as a very tongue-in-cheek daily journal of my clean eating adventures, and misadventures, and documented my challenges and successes. In just 4 months the account has grown to over 3000 followers and has surpassed my personal IG account fourflights, which I’ve had for almost 2 years. I try not to take it personally that more people are interested in food inspired by Gwyneth than seeing pictures of my cute kids and style inspiration.

And what about Babble?
I had been applying to write for Babble in the style, beauty, craft and baby categories for over a year, and it turns out that the thing that lands me a gig on Babble is talking about my Gwyneth inspired clean eating journey. Who knew? You can read more about how I landed my Babble column here, and you can find all my Gwyneth Made Me Do It posts on Babble here.

Evolving past Gwyneth
It’s been 4 months now, and while I still cook many recipes from Gwyneth’s book, and in many ways, it changed my life as it relates to food, I’ve moved beyond it and have become much more comfortable cooking clean on my own, or have found other resources from which to pull inspiration from. I’ve also discovered that eating clean doesn’t have to break the bank, and have found many approaches to make it more affordable and cost-effective, while eating even higher quality foods, especially meats.

So what can you expect for the next 31 Days?
The beauty of clean eating is that it is highly flexible and adaptive to your own individual needs and desires. Initially I thought it meant eliminating gluten, dairy and other foods from my diet forever, but I’ve come to realize that the real basis of clean eating, and sticking with it for the long haul, is the emphasis on fresh and simple. Cooking many foods from scratch, using the most natural ingredients, and knowing where your food comes from as much as possible. For myself and my family, we probably push the notion of clean eating to the limits, and it is working wonderfully for us. I have no aspirations for 6 pack abs or a butt of a 20 year old. I just want to feel good and if my body benefits from it, then great.

We have eliminated refined sugars, processed and pre-packaged foods and snacks, ditched fast food, including those blasted chicken nuggets, and thrown Nutella and our beloved Coffee-Mate creamer into the trash. We have given up all meats from CAFO (factory farms) and have switched to only pastured, grass-fed, antibiotic free meats and eggs, and to save on costs, we’ve started eating vegetarian meals many days of the week. When we frequent restaurants, unless their policy states other wise, we do no eat meat, knowing that 99% of the meat in the US is from a factory farm.

We have made huge changes in our diets, and we have, for lack of a better word, forced the kids along on the ride. It some ways it’s been hard as hell and many fights have ensued, but over time they have adjusted, and very rarely ask to go to McDonald’s anymore.

For the next 31 days I will discuss these changes with you, and share the honest struggles and successes we have had with these changes. I will share some general details on how much these changes cost, and while we have been able to make adjustments that make it more financially affordable for us, I cannot promise it will be affordable for all. Everyone’s needs, budgets, and even geographic location will mean a different view of affordability, so allow some grace in that area please.

I’m also tracking our daily meals and at the end of each week, will post our meals including breakfast lunch and dinner for you all, to hopefully glean some inspiration from.

So have all these changes been worth it? I can undoubtedly say yes, and I hope we can sustain these changes for the rest of our lives. In a nutshell, I feel lighter. Constantly plagued with cramps and indigestion, those have all been eliminated. I have more energy, I overall rest better at night (when I can go to bed at decent time), and I just feel better. I’ve also come to approach food in a completely different way, and have much more of an appreciation for it than I ever had before.

weight While weight loss isn’t a priority in all of this, I did want to mention that for the first time in 2 years, I am below 140 pounds, at 5’10”. My husband is also under 180 for the first time in over a year as well. I’m still breastfeeding, so essentially holding onto extra calories, and I have made no dramatic changes in exercise routines, nor have I counted a calorie or portioned my eating in any way whatsoever. Additionally, my husband has been suffering from an injured knee so has been more sedentary than ever before. With all this in consideration, we are still losing weight, little bits at a time. I tell you all this because while how I feel internally is impossible to measure and prove, the number on the scale is undeniable for skeptics.

I still plan to get a style post in here at least once a week in October, so some days I will double up my posts for 31 days to allow for a style post, or any other earth shattering thoughts I may have. In reality though it’s going to be quite the stretch to post every day so I’m just hoping I can rise to that challenge.

I hope my readers who have been here long before Gwyneth, will appreciate and learn something from my posts over the next 30 days. If I’ve learned anything these past few months, it’s been the realization that many women would like to be inspired to shop their closet or wear an item they didn’t think they could pull off, but most women want to feed their family well, and garner a huge sense of accomplishment when they’re able to do that. So while some of you may have come here for style and crafts, I hope you stick around for the food, at least for the month. You can always come back and see me in November when I’m no longer shoving food down your face. 😉


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Dreaming Of Fall – Neutral Layers

September 28, 2013

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Our cooler spell in weather was short lived, and by tomorrow morning I’ll be in attendance of a wedding where the temperatures are predicted to reach the high 80’s. I’m not surprised or complaining, as it usually stays warm in Southern California until at least mid October, so I’ll just bide my time and be patient. Soon enough we will have plenty of cold weather to complain about, and a mere 2 inches of rain to panic about.

For now I’m pinning to my Fall Style board like mad, and planning. This is currently a look I’m patiently dreaming of. neutral-fall-layers I love the idea of all-over neutral layers, with a pop of color coming by way of a purse, or even a different colored t-shirt under the vest.  I have similar leggings I can’t wait to style, and think this is just how I’d like to incorporate them inot my life right now.  A little bit glam, but still very functional.  I wouldn’t feel ridiculous picking the kids up at school in this outfit.

Scoop Tuxedo Faux Leather Strip Leggings; Scoop Woven Button Blouse; Sherpa Vest by Velvet; Giles & Brother Pyramid Hoop Earrings; Marc By Marc Jacobs Leopard Drawstring Bag; Rag & Bone Newbury Boots

*this post was sponsored by Scoop NYC but all opinions are my own


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For The Love Of…Everything

September 28, 2013

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siblings When I opened up shop here a year and a half ago, it was on the heels of a 6 month search for a name.  I had dreamed up this space long before it launched, but what took me so long was deciding on a freaking name.  One that had longevity, wasn’t tied specifically to one thing, one which wouldn’t sound cheese or corny or truly despicable to me in 5 years.  Tristan is the one who finally helped m settle on For The Love Of…and quite a few people I’ve met at blog conferences have sincerely (I think), told me it is a great name for a blog. It’s not so great for google search engines though, but oh well, you can’t have it all I suppose.

I originally wanted to call this space For The Love Of Style, but Tristan had the foresight to delete the style part and leave it more open-ended.  I still thank her for that almost 2 years later because it has allowed me to comfortably write about my children, crafts, food, and whatever I have love for.  She’s smart, isn’t she?

2 years ago when I was blogging away at my other space, I thought the thing that made me special was my experience in the fashion industry.  Turns out, that doesn’t really mean anything to anyone, and it’s been things totally unrelated to style at all which have brought me any modicum of success in blogging.  Crafts, writing about my children, and now writing about food, have all been big propellers to other worthwhile business ventures.  To those that say you have to be singularly niche focused as a blogger, I say psshaw.  I’ve come to realize you have to be singularly focused in writing about what you love, no matter how wide and varied that is.  So I’m going to work on just that.

My time here has been sporadic, because I’ve long held this idea that because of my experience in the fashion industry, each style post has to be revolutionary and offer some bit of styling advice.  I often think how lucky that Atlantic Pacific girl has it, so gifted in the styling department she doesn’t even have to write out actual words, other than outfit details, to get hundreds of thousands of people to visit her blog each month.  We can’t have it all I suppose.

I’m letting go of these self-prescribed pressures and will continue to just share what I’m into.  Right now, that’s getting my closet ready for fall, and cooking a lot.  You know that scrolling list on the bottom of your Amazon home screen which shows items you’ve currently looked at and recommendations based on your browsing history?  On mine, you’ll see a combination of books on food, kid’s lunch boxes, sequins and glitter glue, and juicers.  My tastes and interests, as always, are all over the place.  Bringing all those varied interests here to the blog may be a big blogging no-no, but it makes me a well-rounded person, so I’ll take the latter over the former.  Expect to see more food-related posts, less crafts because I don’t have time for crafts right now, and at least 1-2 style posts a week.  I hope that’s okay with all you lovely people out there, and will enjoy seeing a wide array of different post topics and content.

And now, let me share with you what else I’ve been writing about this past week:

At Babble:

How To Get Your Spouse On Board With Healthier Eating – how to overcome the 4 most common hurdles

The Secret Of Clean Eating That’s The Hardest To Overcome – it’s probably not what you think

Let’s Move Past the Chipotle Video Discussion Now, Please?

At Disney Baby:

The Beauty Of Sibling Age Gaps – why I love that our kid are much older than the baby

8 Food Hayden Can’t Get Enough Of – at 1 years old, who knew he’d love beets?!?

The Clinginess Begins – I’m starting to get my comeuppance for having such an easy infant!


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Juicing Party

September 26, 2013

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huromjuicer2 If you had told me 6 months ago that I’d be hosting a juicing party, I would’ve told you, you were nuts. Not that I didn’t love green juices and all, but I saw myself much more likely to host a wine party, or a cheese party, or a wine and cheese party together with shopping and crafts. While I still love wine and cheese and crafts, I have somehow managed to make enough room in my wide array of tastes, to give a good amount of space to juicing. I juice nearly every single day and it has been one of the biggest things that has made this switch to a different way of eating more manageable. prepping-juice-veggies

I happen to really, really love the taste of veggie + fruit juices, and I’ve grown to love the process of making my own juices and love even more, the way they make me feel. Benefits include, but are not limited to; better digestion and overall regularity (TMI I know, but if you’ve been plagued by digestion problems like I have for years, you’ll understand why I list this one first and foremost), more energy, less coffee intake, more veggie and fruit intake, and more consistent routines in the morning (gotta make time to juice). Critics will say you lose nutrients in the juicing process and blah blah blah. To the naysayers, I say stop being so myopic. I ingest more fruits and veggies through juicing than I would on my own by just eating them. How many of you are gonna sit down and eat 2 carrots, 5 kale leaves and a beet at lunch time? Okay then. juicing-herbs beet-juicing

So I have some friends who either already love to juice, and some who were interested in it. I invited them over yesterday for a morning of breakfast and juicing. So what all do you need for juicing? Well, a good mix of fruit and veggies, including plenty of citrus fruits and some fresh herbs. A plan for breakfast is a good idea as well, and I had quinoa granola + yogurt on hand to munch on while we were taste testing, and then we sat down to a heartier breakfast of pastured eggs, perfectly cooked quinoa and sauteed swiss chard. Two of my guests had never had an over-easy egg. I was more than happy to introduce it to them for the first time. juicing-breakfast citrus-juicing I’m usually not so structured when I’m making my own juice each morning, preferring to just throw whatever is handy and available in, within reason of course, but because some of my pals had only ever tried juice from a bar, I decided to make 2 totally different juices so they could see how good each could be.  I made a beet, apple and carrot concoction, as well as my favorite green juice.  You can get both recipes here in my favorite 5 juices post.  Also, some of you ask how to get more juice out of your kale, when juicing.  A good juicer helps, but beyond that, you must juice your kale and follow it up with a high water content fruit or veggie, like an apple, a citrus fruit or cucumber and celery.  This will help to push the water out of the kale leaves through.  green-juicing hurom-juicer huromjuicer The nice people at Hurom sent me this new Slow Juicer plus Smoothie Maker model to try out, and I couldn’t be more in love with it, and I can say with 100% conviction it is the best thing I’ve ever received as a blog perk.  Taylor disagrees and says tickets to Knott’s is the best thing, but we can agree to disagree.  And in case you think I’m just telling you I love it because they sent it to me for free, you can go back and check my GMMDI feed and see I fell in love with this guy a while ago.   After my friend Wendy made me a juice with her Hurom, I literally couldn’t drink juice from my Jack LaLanne anymore (dramatic, I know). green-juice green-juice2 green-juice-pour The difference with this type of “slow juicer” is that it extracts the juice instead of grinds it, allowing you to get up to 50% more juice with up to 6 times more vitamins and minerals.  You can see how much less waste there is in the pulp container, and how much juice you actually get.  The taste is exceptional as well.  This model allows for you to control how much pulp you get (important to those who are concerned with loss of nutrients and/or who want to stay feeling fuller longer), and the ability to make smoothies and purees by way of the additional coarse mesh strainer.  This strainer allows you to now juice soft fruits and veggies like avocados and bananas, even nuts.

There’s tons of cool features it has as well, like a plug to stop the flow of juice until you’re ready to pour, and if you’re making different juices, like I was, you can pour water through the machine to give it a quick clean out.  Overall it’s pretty easy to clean, no sharp blades, and comes with a few specialty brushes so you can get in to all the nooks and crannies. green-juice-taste-test I think I’ve gotten used to the very earthy flavor you get out of juicing, especially beet juice, because I just drink them straight down. Most of the girls had to add a bit of ice to theirs to make it a bit more palatable, which is totally fine by me! beet-juice-taste-test As much fun as we had getting together, trying new things together, we all agreed that the next time we make a juicing date, it will be at happy hour time and will include cocktails. Or we can just spike the juice. It’s all about balance, right? beet-juice-taste-test-2 Thank you Hurom for my amazing juicer. I was already a fan, and now this just seals the deal! Let me know if you have any questions about juicing and making smoothies, or if you want to throw your own juicing party! And I had quite a few people show interest in learning more about juicing. Would anyone be interested in me hosting a local juicing party, combining it with Craft Cabinet in a way? Pay a fee, and get tips about juicing and get to taste samples and such? Let me know if anyone has any interest in that!


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New Boyfriends

September 25, 2013

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IMG_9762 Boyfriend Jeans – 1969 destructed sexy boyfriend “>Gap; Tee – Salvage Life; Shoes – Madewell; Bag – Joelle Hawkens These photos need some help, I realize. Art got home late from work, waning daylight was not my friend and things came out rushed and blurry. The last shot of the evening though was this first one and it really does show off the stars of this post the best. Those clogs, which if you love them as much as I do, will need to be hunted down from Madewell. They’re no longer on line but are available in some stores in both black and a cognac leather. I plan to wear them all winter long with tights, since the Southern California weather allows for dresses and tights most days. They’re called the Andie sandal and were picked up for $52 (on sale for $79 with an additional 30% off, originally $149!). Seriously, they are amazing and rather easy to walk in believe it or not, so if you’ve been looking for something like this, call a Madewell store and see if they can track them down.

Next up are my new Gap boyfriend jeans, with the perfect amount of distressing.  They’re the 1969 destructed sexy boyfriend in color Betty.  It’s confusing because there are 2 destructed sexy boyfriends, but this pair has weird stitching across the distressed part.  Didn’t love them in person.  This pair I’m wearing though has the distressing in all the right places so that they feel a bit rugged, but you don’t feel silly, because let’s be real, only some people can pull off the really distressed denim look, and I am not one of them.  They also have a good size leg opening so they are just a bit slouchy but not sloppy.  I was thinking of getting a “designer” pair of boyfriends, but they must be made for really skinny girls because their idea of boyfriend slouch fit me like a skinny jean!  At any rate, this pair is perfection and I’ve been wearing them constantly, with heels, boots, flip flops and flats.  And today they’re 40% off!

Yes, this picture below is blurry.  Not my husband’s best work… IMG_9719 The tee is from Salvage Life and is nice and slouchy and dipped in the back so it covers your tush, if that’s what you’re looking for. I think they were sold out of the black but she had them in white and green. IMG_9739


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Welcome Fall Pizza Night

September 23, 2013

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diypizza3 It’s often said that we don’t experience seasons here in Southern California, and while we definitely don’t usher in winter with a blanket of snow, or fall with a spectacular parade of changing colors, we do notice slight and subtle shifts in the air.

In case you didn’t already know, yesterday was the first official day of fall, and we here in Southern California experienced a short-lived drop in temps and the most gentle of breezes to welcome the day.  It was a gorgeous day overall in fact, much better than any old start of summer if you ask me, and was the perfect way to alert us all that the holidays were upon us.  I had already had plans for us to make homemade pizzas for dinner that night, and after a fun afternoon of watching Syd’s baseball game, I decided to invite over the in-laws and my parents as well. pizzanightdoughrising diypizzadough

I had most ingredients on hand already, but we did have to pick up more yeast since I was going to now double the dough recipe.  I’m currently reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which I love.  Her family makes homemade pizzas on Friday night because it’s an easy way to end a long work and school week.  Let me tell ya, maybe if you have a huge outdoor oven, or are sticking to just 4 diners, it’s easy, but for a large group, pizza night is some work.  More than anything, it requires patience on the part of those waiting in line to use the pizza stone to get a properly cooked crust, so have plenty of toppings on hand for people to just nibble on while they wait.

I’ve already decided that a 2nd stone must be purchased, because overall, making pizzas is A LOT of fun and the kids loved it.  It’s a process and it gets everyone involved and gives kids the power to choose their toppings in as little or as big a quantity as they like, and I don’t know a single kid who doesn’t love to roll crust. pizzanightcrust pizzanightcrustrolling

For future pizza pie nights, especially if we’re doing it with another family, we’ve decided a couple of things will make the process a bit smoother.  Preheat the stone at the same time the oven is preheating, that way it gets nice and hot.  Buy a 2nd stone.  Roll the crusts out thinner so they cook quicker and aren’t as doughy.  And have grownups share a pizza.  We gave everyone their own pie and it was just so much food and took over 2 hours for everyone’s pizzas to go through the rotation (I was so hungry I decided to just cook mine on a cookie sheet in fact). diypizzasauce pizzanight1 diypizza5

The sauce recipe I used is from Gwyneth’s book and is ridiculously easy, and makes plenty of sauce for leftovers.  In fact tonight we’ll add some cooked ground turkey to it and top it on sweet potatoes and pasta for the kids.

Gwyneth’s Go-To Tomato Sauce (slightly adapted)
4 cans of 14.5 ounce whole or diced tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste (my addition to thicken it up)
4-6 basil leaves
6 cloves of garlic sliced
olive oil
Saute garlic in olive oil on low for 5 minutes, add in basil and cook for 1 more minute then add in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes, smashing down the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon either in process or after cooking is complete.

Homemade Pizza Dough (slightly adapted via Barbara Kingsolver)
3 tsp. yeast
1½ cups WARM water
3 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 cups white flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
To make crust, dissolve the yeast into the warm water and add oil and salt to that mixture. Mix the flours and knead them into the liquid mixture. Let dough rise for 30 to 40 minutes. Make sure to cover with a damp towel and set in a warm place. Works well doubled.  Roll out on a well-floured counter and bake with toppings in a 500 degree oven for at least 15 minutes.

My favorite part was the assortment of toppings we came up with.  Pizza has become one of those dishes that can handle almost any ingredient you can throw at it, from sweet to savory, fresh to fried, pizza is a blank canvas that allows any fruit, vegetable, dairy product or meat to shine.  Pizza has gone so far beyond just pepperoni and pineapple, but make sure you have the classics on hand for the purists. diypizzatoppings pizzanighttoppings diypizzanighttoppings Our list of toppings included:
Mozzarella, both freshly sliced and shredded
Olives
Peppers & mushrooms sauteed first
Sweet potatoes sliced and baked in the oven for 15 minutes first
Fresh kale and spinach and pineapple
Salami and fried up bacon from a fresh slab of pastured pork bacon (heaven!)
diypizzacheese diypizza4 diypizza Arrange all your toppings and bake in a 500 degree oven for at least 15 minutes, or more if you’re just using a cookie sheet.  The dough needs to be rolled out really thin, thinner than you think may be necessary, like an 1/8″, or else it just tastes doughy, which is fine because the dough tastes really really good, but you won’t have that pizza crust crispness. pizzainoven diypizza2 pizzanight I learned something interesting last night about Syd and his knowledge, or lack of knowledge in how some of his favorite foods are made.  When we were directing him to make his pizza, he was refusing to add sauce or cheese, just salami please!  He loves pizza, but hates red sauce and cheese, so we explained to him that the sauce and the cheese are what makes a pizza, pizza.  He scrunched up his cute nose, tilted his head, and said “Really??”  We prodded him to add the sauce and cheese, and for once he trusted us and loved his pizza.  So I realized that maybe I don’t do as good of a job teaching him about food as I think I do, considering he didn’t even know how pizza was made.  So often I just demand, “Just try it Syd!” and should maybe stop to teach a bit more.  I’m not beating myself up about it, because any mom will agree, a picky kid gets really annoying after a while, but just an observation and approach that may make all our lives a bit easier in the future.

So that was pizza night!  And after having the oven set at 500 degrees for 3 hours, I realize why pizza night is a perfect Sunday fall and winter dinner!  It was hot up in here!

Mangia, mangia and enjoy!


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Instagram Ate My Blog

September 17, 2013

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I’ve been cooking and drinking and eating up a ton lately.  With the start of my new bootcamp, I’ve had a veracious appetite, and to fuel my body with good food, and so I don’t fall prey to bad crap, I’ve continued to try new recipes and drink concoctions.  I’m trying to cut back on coffee and wine just a bit, so I’ve started making tea lattes and venturing into new drink territory.  I said I was trying to cut back on wine, not alcohol.  Here’s what I’ve whipped up lately. cucumber-jalapeno-margarita I used this cucumber jalapeno margarita recipe as a base, but it was weak sauce and way too sour. The jalapeno flavor was barely noticeable too, so I added a whole jalapeno cut lenghtwise, and let it sit for at least 10-15 minutes. I obviously added more tequila too, and a splash of soda would have set it off something fierce. But with the added tequila and extra jalapeno it was pretty spectacular. earl-grey-tea-latte I’ve ordered tea lattes the last couple of times I was in Peet’s, and loved them, so ventured to make my own at home. Using your favorite tea of choice (I used earl grey because it’s high in flavor and caffeine and won’t get lost amidst the steamed milk), fill your mug with half hot water, half steamed milk and a good dose of foam, and some honey. Let steep for at least 3-5 minutes and enjoy. Just as good as the ones at Peet’s and cheaper. We have this frother by Keurig and love it. meat-and-potato-tacos Last night I made my favorite dish from my childhood; Meat and Potato Tacos. I have been craving potatoes the past few days, probably because I need the extra starchy carbs you get from them. Anyhow, I used the lamb from Primal Pastures, and to save money only used 1 pound, and added in extra diced potatoes. You can use ground beef, ground turkey, or in this case ground lamb. Fry up the ground meat with half diced onion and salt and pepper until browned. Add 1-2 large russet potatoes, finely diced, and stir in. Cover your lid and let cook, stirring occasionally every few minutes, until potatoes are nice and soft, usually for at least 15 minutes. Using 2 large potatoes we fed 4 adults and 3 kids, and we each had 2 tacos, so adjust accordingly. The leftovers are plentiful and magnificent for lunch, so don’t worry about making extra. Grab some corn tortillas and heat up olive oil in a small skillet. Fry up each side of the taco until just slightly soft, allowing you to bend them in half easily. Once you can bend, fry up the taco shell for about 2-3 minutes per side so they’re a nice combo of soft yet crunchy. I don’t like mine really crunchy, so fry longer if you do. Line a plate with a few paper towels to absorb the grease. Serve alongside garnishes of lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and salsa.

Also, I’ve had quite a few questions about the meat I’m getting from Primal Pastures.  You place an order online and then choose your pick up spot based off of your location.  Obviously this is for Southern California residents only, but if you’re interested in finding similar type farms who are raising pastured meat in your area, check out Eat Wild. nut-butter-breakfast-quesadilla This morning I made these Nut Butter Breakfast Quesadillas, and the kids were all, “What is this mom?” Once they tried them though, they ate every last bite. I served some vanilla yogurt along side them and they dipped pieces of the quesadilla in teh yogurt. Grab 2 whole wheat tortillas and spread with the nut butter of your choice. Add in your seasonal fruit toppings; we used sliced bananas, blueberries and strawberries, and then sprinkle on some cacoa nibs, some chia seeds (both optional but both yummy and loaded with amazing nutrients for you all), and drizzle some maple syrup on top. Place the second tortilla on top, and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes, just to warm it up, then broil for 1 minute to get it nice and toasty on top. So so good and the kitchen smelled amazing first thing in the morning!

For all more food photos, please make sure to follow my Gwyneth Made Me Do It instagram account.

My Writing Elsewhere!

Been writing up a storm in September and about food topics I’m grown to be really passionate about.  I would appreciate it and love for you to read and share if you feel so inclined.  To be forthcoming, I have monthly page view goals to meet each month on my Gwyneth Made Me Do It column, so every little extra bit helps.  Now, off of the hard sell and onto the topics!

Confused by all those food labels on meat and eggs and poultry these days?  I was, and was really disappointed to learn that cage free eggs are just a marketing ploy really to get us to feel okay with spending more money on eggs that aren’t nutritionally better or from happy chickens.  Read all about labels in this post (I discuss grass fed/grass finished and all the other labels popping up all over these days). dicephering-meat-and-poultry-and-dairy-labels Need healthy food inspiration on Instagram?  Here are 10 beautiful accounts I’ve grown to love.  See them all in here in this post. Instagram-accounts-to-follow-for-healthy-eating-inspiration At Disney Baby, I shared in photos Hayden’s 1st year.  It was so awesome to see how much he changed each month, and I talked about his development, milestones and physical changes month by month.  You can raed abotu Hayden’s 1st year in this post.  hayden-1-7-months Hayden-8-12-months I also shared even more nursing style tips in this post.

I discuss 8 ways to help babies fight off flu and colds this season through food in this post.

Hayden is a changing, and here’s how.

Thank you for all your support and patience as I continue to figure out how to juggle these extra writing assignments.  I truly appreciate it.

Now off to get baby, he’s up from his nap!  Have a great day!


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