This is YOUR dream!

Will it be easy?

Exercise to be FIT, not skinny

I'm Possible

Fun Food Friday

It's Fun Food Friday at our house and everyone wants Chinese food. Instead of ordering in and totally pigging out, I'm making everything from scratch and improving the recipes, to make them moderately healthier as I go.

On tonight's menu:

Fried Basmati Rice, with onions and cauliflower
Beef and Broccoli
Vegetarian Spring Rolls
Sweet and Sour Chicken

If we were to order in, the portions would be enormous and I would have no control over the ingredients. Making it at home is fun for my kids, portion controlled and as previously mentioned, moderately healthier.

When you're craving something that you would usually order in, try making a healthier version at home. Take control of your cravings and allow yourself the occasional indulgence, but make it yourself.

Have a great weekend, everyone! What is your family having for supper?

It Takes Time to Build a Life

When you move to a new place, you can't expect to build a new life for yourself overnight. No matter how welcoming the neighbors are, it takes years to really create a social environment for yourself.

I never realized just exactly how many people I had gotten to know and appreciate in our last home town. The people at the grocery store knew me, and some actually cared about me and my family. My mechanic knew me and would go out of his way to get my van in at a moments notice. My pharmacist knew me and offered thoughtful advice, sometimes not even pertaining to prescriptions, etc. The school crossing guard knew us all by name, genuinely cared about us and cried when we told her we were moving. I had connections for everything and knew just who to call when my washer needed immediate attention. I miss each and every one of those people.

Now when I need something, I don't know who to call. When I grocery shop, I wander around the store quietly and nod and smile at the strangers who pass by. I miss the familiarity of our old town. 

All of this said, I love our new home town. I wake up every morning and walk our nutty dog along the waterfront. There isn't a trace of snow in town and winters are much milder here. Our neighbors are wonderful and introduced themselves the very first day we arrived. I'm still not sure that our older neighbors even knew our names. Most importantly, living in our new home means that my family all lives under one roof and we have breakfast and dinner together every single day of the week. For those who know me, you will realize how huge a novelty this is for my family.

So, although I am sad to leave behind many years of my life, I am so grateful and blessed to be where I am now. Building a life takes time and I'm more than willing to put in the work.

Crockpot Beef Tips & Gravy with Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes"

I'm craving something meaty and hearty, on this damp day. After many suggestions from friends, I've decided to try a recipe for beef tips. The glutton in me wants to pair it with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies, but after trying cauliflower in place of rice last week, I think this is the perfect opportunity to make cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes. Sounds delish! Check it out!

Crockpot Beef Tips & Gravy
Yield: 4 servings

Recipe from The Country Cook

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs cubed beef (stew meat)
• 1 packet Dry Onion Soup Mix
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (although Cream of anything will work)
• 1 14 oz. can beef beef broth or stock
• Salt & Pepper

Instructions

1. Add beef cubes to Crockpot, season with salt & pepper.
2. In bowl combine soup mix, soup & broth, stir to combine.
3. Dump mixed ingredients over top of beef, stir.
4. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Whipped Cauliflower “Potatoes"

Recipe from damyhealth.com

Ingredients:

• 1 Large Head Cauliflower
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Herbs (chives work particularly well)
• Sea Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• ½ Cup Onion
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Chop cauliflower into smaller chunks – about bite-size pieces works well.
2. Peel garlic cloves and cut in half, lengthwise. Chop onion into slices.
3. Steam cauliflower, garlic and onion for 15 minutes, or until cauliflower and garlic are tender enough for a fork to easily pass through.
4. Combine steamed cauliflower, garlic, onion, olive oil, fresh herbs, pepper, and sea salt in a food processor and blend until everything comes together into a mashed potato-like consistency.
5. Top with a little pepper for looks and enjoy your guilt-free whipped potatoes.

Spaghetti Squash- Easy, healthy meal and it's delicious!

This past fall, I was introduced to Spaghetti Squash. I had heard about it before, but it didn't appeal to me, so I never tried it. Then at some point I became curious and bought two big squash from a local farmer and set off to research what in the world I needed to do to make it into "spaghetti".

It couldn't be easier and I don't think enough people realize how delicious it is. It is also a significantly healthier option than a bowl of white pasta. Plus, when you finish eating it, you don't get a gluten bloat or have any regrets about your incredibly satisfying meal.

To prepare the squash:
1. Simply give the outside a good wash and cut it in half lengthwise.
2. Then remove the seeds and pulp, aka "the guts".
3. Cover a cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment paper, and place the two halves on the sheet, rind up.
4. Cook at 375F for 35-40 minutes.
5. Once finished cooking, carefully remove from oven and, while wearing an oven mitt, hold one half of the squash and run a fork lengthwise down the meat of the squash.This separates the squash into strands, just like spaghetti.
6. Add sauce, veggies (whatever you typically add to your spaghetti dishes) and enjoy!!!

Quinoa & Cauliflower Pizza Muffins

After trying cauliflower in place of fried rice one night and then quinoa pizza muffins the next, I had a lot of good ingredients leftover to work with. So, last night I made quinoa and cauliflower pizza muffins! They stick together much better than the quinoa muffins and taste amazing.

So here is the revised recipe:

Quinoa & Cauliflower Pizza Muffins

Makes ~12 muffins

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup sauteed shredded cauliflower (cook until softened)
2 large eggs (or 3 egg whites)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (OR light cheddar OR feta)

1 cup cooked extra lean hamburger

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup chopped mushrooms 

2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried crushed oreganoand pizza sauce for dipping

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add muffin cups/liners to muffin tin.
2. Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Distribute mixture into muffin tin, filling each cup to the top, and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

5. Let cool slightly before eating or some may stick to the cup/liner AND they’re easier to dip once cooled.

Note: Feel free to replace 1 cup mushrooms with the veggie of your choice and/or nix the meat to make them vegetarian.

ENJOY!

Gluten-free Quinoa Pizza Muffins

In a quest to find a reasonable substitute for pizza, something gluten-free, I stumbled upon a variation of this recipe. I modify everything I make...usually a lot. I made these last night and dipped them in warm pizza sauce-delicious! Even my 1 year old will eat them!

Quinoa Pizza Muffins

Makes ~12 muffins

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (OR light cheddar OR feta)

1 cup chopped pepperoni OR hamburger

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup chopped veggies (I used mushrooms and broccoli) 

2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (optional)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried crushed oregano
and pizza sauce for dipping

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add muffin cups/liners to muffin tin.
2. Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Distribute mixture into muffin tin, filling each cup to the top, and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

5. Let cool slightly before eating or some may stick to the cup/liner AND they’re easier to dip once cooled.

Note: You can’t really go wrong with this recipe. Feel free to add chopped veggies of any kind and/or nix the meat to make them vegetarian.

The Farmer's Market

Every Thursday there is a small, but wonderful, farmer's market in Lunenburg. It is held in a gym-type space and during it's high season, is over flowing with vendors of all sorts. 

When you first arrive, you are greeted by the aroma of Laughing Whale coffee brewing and the visual of bright and fresh veggies and sprouts from a local farmer. Don't risk looking to the right though. If you do, you will come head on with some of the most incredible baked goods. I am guessing the baker is Parisian...but I haven't found out his story yet. He makes breads, croissants, brioche and so much more. Today I let down my guard and bought a brioche to share with my baby girl. It was perfect.

If you continue on, you quickly encounter another incredible spread of baked goods. 'Baked goods' doesn't do these creations justice. The bread is twisted and shaped in a way that can only be called 'art'. This stand also has quiche and something like a croissant with custard and chocolate inside. They are almost too pretty to eat....almost. 

There is a seafood stand, of course, a butcher of sorts, beeswax candles, beautifully dyed yarn and one of my favourite vendors-the lovely man who makes apple cider. His containers aren't labelled,so I can't even tell you his business name...but his cider is incredible. We buy the low to no sugar added cider and it is delicious. If you return his container to him, he gives you 25 cents back and seems so pleased that you would think to save the container for him. Sometimes it's the little things.

Another neat thing about this market is that it's located right next door to the primary (also known as kindergarten) to grade 9 school, Bluenose Academy. One particular teacher, who happens to be my husband, brings his French class to experience the market every week. What a wonderful thing to show these kids, some of whom would have never gone otherwise. Most of them bring a few dollars and get a brioche or a small bottle of cider and then wander around until it's time to head back to class.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around why the market is held on a Thursday morning. Despite it being a workday for many, the market is bustling. I'm sure there is a story there that I will come to learn in time. 

I can't help but think I should be involved with this market in some way. I used to have a stand at the Moncton Market, where I sold things like children's hair clips, headbands and felt finger puppets. If I have an ingenious idea, I look more into it.

If you haven't checked out your local market, make a point to. There is something for everyone and by shopping there, you are helping to support the people in your community. 

Cooking with Cauliflower-Part 2

I'm too amazed with the results to wait until tomorrow to tell you about it! Cauliflower, as a replacement for fried rice, is incredible! It tasted exactly like fried rice, with minimally different texture, and had the added bonus of tasting fresh and delicious! I highly recommend it!

To start, I grated the head of cauliflower on a cheese grater (I wasn't convinced that my blender/food processor would do the trick). I then heated the oil in a frying pan for 2-3 minutes and added the onion for an additional 5 minutes, before adding in the cauliflower. The cauliflower took a solid 10 minutes to soften.

Tomorrow I will try making the cauliflower pizza crust. Now that I know what cauliflower is capable of, I have full faith that the crust will be amazing!

If you missed it in my previous post, here is the recipe (www.damyhealth.com) I followed. Note: I did not end up using the salt and it didn't need it at all. The onion and olive oil provided ample flavour.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 Head Cauliflower, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• ¼ Tsp Sea Salt

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Sauté onion over medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft.
3. Meanwhile, place cauliflower in a food processor with the “S” blade and process until the texture of rice. (TIP: if you do not have a food processor do not fret, you can simply use a cheese grater to grate the cauliflower into rice. Works awesome!!
4. Add cauliflower to skillet, cover and cook 5-10 minutes, until soft, then add salt.

Do you have a cauliflower recipe to share? If so, please share in the comments. 

Happy cooking!

PS-I also tried making (with my husband) Quinoa PIzza Bites from www.missbefit.tv. They taste great, but could use some tweaking to help them stay together better. I'll work on them later this week and post more once I've perfected them. 

Cooking with Cauliflower-Part 1

One of many current trends is to use cauliflower in place of things like rice, mashed potatoes and even pizza crust. So, over the next week, I am going to try using cauliflower in these different ways and let you know how it works out. Tonight, I'll start simple and use cauliflower in place of rice in a stir fry.

Here's the recipe (from www.damyhealth.com) I'll be trying:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 Head Cauliflower, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• ¼ Tsp Sea Salt

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Sauté onion over medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft.
3. Meanwhile, place cauliflower in a food processor with the “S” blade and process until the texture of rice. (TIP: if you do not have a food processor do not fret, you can simply use a cheese grater to grate the cauliflower into rice. Works awesome!!
4. Add cauliflower to skillet, cover and cook 5-10 minutes, until soft, then add salt.
5. Enjoy this “rice” in soups, as a side for supper in place of rice, or in a casserole. Serve as your “rice” side dish with chicken, or fish, veggies and a side salad for a complete meal!

I'm most interested in trying the pizza crust recipe, as pizza is my favourite guilty pleasure. What do you use for a crust replacement?

Homemade Donairs

Yesterday, after a week of extremely clean eating, my husband and I were craving pizza or a donair. Nova Scotia happens to produce the best donairs and we live around the corner from a great little pizza/donair restaurant called J3. It seemed to be calling our name, but in an effort to stay strong, we decided to compromise. What if we made it all from scratch? That way we would have control over all of the ingredients.

So, after a little research I found a recipe (mmmisformommy.com) to make donair meat, which I altered, of course.

Donair Meat

• 3.5 to 4 lbs pounds lean ground beef
• 2 tsp spelt flour
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1.5 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 4.5 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients, either in a food processor or by kneading and smashing it on a clean surface. Separate mixture in half and form two chunky logs of meat. Bake on a cooling rack (this works great because all of the fat drains off), on top of a foil-covered cookie sheet at 325F for 1.5 hours. Once cooked, you can either slice and eat it as is (slices will be thicker) or let it cool completely first. This will make it significantly easier to have thin slices. Note: This recipes yields roughly 12 medium donairs.

For a first effort, the meat turned out really great! I should have let it cool longer, but it tasted perfect! To improve some of the other components of the meal, I replaced doughy, white pitas with thin whole wheat pita. I also replaced cow cheese with a sprinkling of goat cheese and used lots of cut up tomatoes and onions. You could also add a variety of lettuce, mushrooms or peppers. The one part, and actually the worst, where I stayed true to a "real" donair was the sauce. It is incredibly high in sugar, but the donair seemed dry without it. If you use the sauce, use it sparingly. The recipe I used was simply to combine a 300 ml can of condensed milk, 1.3 cup white vinegar and a tsp of garlic powder and refrigerate while the meat cooks. The sauce should be enough for all of the meat in the above recipe.

Sometimes it's better to give in to a craving. If you're anything like me, you'll end up eating all kinds of things while trying to avoid the craving, which usually ends up being worse than the thing you actually wanted. 

Best of luck turning your unhealthy cravings into something a little healthier. I encourage you to share your ideas below!

Chia Pudding-Tastes like Rice Pudding!

Every now and then, it's nice to feel like you can have a treat. Who says it needs to be an unhealthy one? If you like rice pudding, you will LOVE this!

Chia Pudding:

2 cups unsweetened almond milk
4 tbsp chia seeds
1 healthy shake of cinnamon

Pour almond milk into a jar, add chia seeds and cinnamon. Cover jar and shake well. Place in fridge overnight and the next morning.....TA DA! You have chia pudding. It's simple, quick and delicious...not to mention significantly healthier than traditional rice pudding.

Enjoy!

Healthy Living One Day at a TIme

Why is it that I am far more inspired to lead a healthy life in Nova Scotia than I ever was in New Brunswick? I guess in a way, I always looked at New Brunswick as a pit stop, on the way back to Nova Scotia...but somehow that stop turned into seven years.

Not only am I eating healthy at every meal, I'm planning ahead to make sure I do. Last night, my husband mixed chia seeds and almond milk to have for our smoothy this morning and I cooked down spinach and froze it into ice cubes, also for our smoothy.

Smoothy Recipe: (I'm not one for recipe following...so these measurements are approximate) 

1 tbsp chia seeds in 1/3 c unsweetened almond milk (left covered in fridge overnight)
2 ice cubes of cooked spinach
1/2c frozen berries
1 banana

*add additional almond milk for desired consistency

During the day today, while my kids are at school and my husband is teaching, my baby girl and I will walk to the post office, walk to the local grocery store and plan a healthy supper for our family. We'll take time to smell the roses and appreciate the simple things in life. Life felt so chaotic and uncertain before, but now everything seems clear. All of the struggles lead us to this better quality of life.

So, for now, I'm keeping it simple and working on becoming a  healthier, happier version of myself. I`m not doing this because I want to be a better mom or better wife, but because I`m finally doing something for me. This is 7.5 years in the making and if I`m happier with myself, everyone around me will be happier too.

Life in Lunenburg

Good morning, world! This will be my first official post from Lunenburg, NS. Before I get into the nutrition portion of this post, I want to give you a little background on my new home.

Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The downtown centre is full of character and old wooden buildings that have remained virtually unchanged since the 18th century. What is of  even more interest, in the world of health and wellness, is that Lunenburg is almost considered a "Blue Zone", due to the high number of centenarians (a person who lives to be over 100 years) in the area. The exact scientific explanation for this is unknown, but I'm sure it is a combination of things, such as the inclines on the streets walked, the year round access to fresh fish, less stressful environment, strong sense of community and most importantly the fresh air. It also doesn't hurt, with the exception of Subway, that there aren't any fast food restaurants in a 20 km radius.

Despite having full-time employment, the towns people come out in great number to attend the Thursday morning market,where you become acutely aware of  the high number of health conscious people in the area. Fresh sprouts, farm-fresh vegetables, homemade granola, fresh-pressed apple cider, beeswax candles, organic teas and hearty baked breads are among the many tempting items available. Knit items are a plenty, both on the shoppers and for purchase. Babies, as new as one week old, are worn in slings by the market vendors. The importance of family is clear at the market.

Since moving here, almost three weeks ago, the desire to get back into shape, both mentally and physically, has been strong. I start my day by walking our family dog along the beautiful waterfront. I return home and make a healthy breakfast (this morning I had an omelette of two eggs, spinach, mushrooms, sprouts and a sprinkle of goat cheese). I then unpack, or yesterday I shoveled snow for an hour, and make lunch (arugula salad with apple, almonds, sprouts, a sprinkle of goat cheese, a few dried cranberries and homemade dressing of olive oil, balsamic and garlic). I sometimes have another walk, either with our dog, or with my kids to the one of many great little shops. For supper, we might have lentil soup or salmon, veggies and a delicious treat of baked potato. It's a much more simple life here, but it's a great one.

Someday, I will return to the workforce, but for now, I am lucky enough to spend the mornings with my baby girl and the afternoon and evenings with my two older children and my husband. For those of you who have read my posts in the past, you will know that my husband moved here four months before us, while we waited for our home to sell in New Brunswick. I stayed behind with our three kids and really let go of my eating and physical activity, partly by unconscious choice and partly because I was raising my kids alone and simply had limited time to myself.

So here's to new beginnings! May 2014 bring your peace, health and happiness!