Fresh home-made Almond Milk (3 steps)

Almond milk is so easy and good for you. If you live the milk-free lifestyle, but still love a cold creamy glass to go with your sweets, in your smoothies or even in your coffee then almonds milk is awesome. Although be aware that almond milk shouldn't be a substitute in regards to the calcium or protein you get from a source like cow's milk. When comparing the two researchers find that almond milk has 1 gram of protein vs. cow's milk having 8 grams. Milk made from almonds is very low in calories at 60 per cup, there is no cholesterol or saturated fats it's low sodium and has lots of Omega-3 fatty acids. There isn't as much calcium as they state milk has but it does have 30% of your daily requirement. Great news for your skin in terms of Vitamin E too:) almond milk has 50% of your daily intake. While I don't truly know if this is the best idea since we ALWAYS kept it refrigerated I read an article that states it can be left at room temperature safely. Always do your own research and always have fun in the kitchen!

Here is an easy three step process to have fresh almond milk in your kitchen in less than 10 minutes!

You will need:

Blender
Cheese cloth
Container with a lid

Prep time: 24 hrs (although I forgot to soak the almonds it still works but they release more protein and are easier to blend.)

"Cook" time: 5 minutes

Servings: approx. 9 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups of raw almonds
7 cups of water (we fill the blender to the 9th cup mark)

Directions:

1. Soak almonds overnight

2. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes

3. Strain in cheese cloth (pulp included) and store in the fridge!

 To this mixture you can add a couple Tbs. of honey or agave to make it sweet. I prefer it plain, but The Hunebee likes hers with a hint of sweetness<3 We stored ours in large mason jars that have a screw on lid and put them in the fridge. This "milk" should keep for 2-3 days.

 ENJOY!

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Eat more to lose weight, not less.

Since I was 18 I have battled with portion control. When I was younger I could eat, and eat, and eat, and eat and eat, but it never affected me at all. By the time I was my biggest I thought eating less would do the trick, but I was wrong. I thought not eating certain foods would work and it did, but not without consequences. Losing muscle along with fat will make you smaller, but not healthy. There are a million fad diets or diet pills( I never used ), but there are really only two options I see that are correct; eating more often (healthy foods) and eating more often and exercising. When a diet tells you YOU CAN EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT it generally means it's ok to have a burger or pizza even ice cream, but not everyday. Portion control, when I implement it correctly, has been the one thing I've done that has shown the quickest results.

A couple months ago, on and off, I began a protein shake regiment with the girls, Christine and Kat. I would wake up in the morning and drink a shake within 30 minutes of getting out of bed, I got that from Christine, and it worked wonders on my energy level and my overall mood. I would then eat every 2-3 hours whether it be scrambled eggs and salsa or a handful of cranberries and nuts, but I would limit my servings to never exceed a measuring cup worth of food. It also helped a lot to jot down every time I ate and at what time. That motivated me to not only eat more, but better. Don't get me wrong I still ate cream cheese and mashed potatoes, but because I was being more personally responsible with my diet it was easier to limit heavy foods, or junk. I also made a huge effort to not eat carbs with dinner, which can be hard with Ty and the Baby, but they didn't notice much and that made me happy.

 There are two things that really make eating throughout the day easier for me and it's Greek yogurt and Cottage cheese. I buy the 0% yogurts by Chobani that come in really awesome flavors like "Black Cherry" and "Blood Orange." Mixing things into cottage cheese can make it easier to eat for some people, I'm not one of those, but I put chopped tomatoes and pepper or even mix a little with one of my bean salads if I have one already made. While you want to watch fat, and sugar intake, you really just need to pay attention to the other benefits of certain foods. Both Cottage cheese and the yogurt have protein. Greek yogurt is also a great probiotic and can be used inplace of things like Mayo or Sour cream. I was reading not to long ago that not consuming enough protein is what forces some of us to snack on certain things that we definitely don't need. I found a calculation to help figure out what your daily amount of protein should be:



The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound 
(found on  http://authoritynutrition.com/how-much-protein-per-day/ )

The protein shake I drink equals about half of my daily requirement for protein, so why don't I just drink two? Well because what I'm trying to do is not about eating less, it's about eating healthy. I have researched liquid diets in length, and they are not necessarily advocated by doctors, dieticians, or health experts. Yes, you will lose tons of weight by drinking your meals, but we have teeth for a reason and there is a lot necessary function to the act of chewing your food. Chewing is the first step in proper digestion and is what tells the body to start producing digestive enzymes so you can efficiently break down food and absorb all the benefits. If your body isn't absorbing the vital substances from your food than you are missing out and that is what experts say happens in a largely liquid diet.

I have found with this eating habit I eat anywhere from 5-8 times a day starting within 30 minutes of getting out of bed and stopping by 7p.m. Drinking more water than normal has shown, in my experience, to be really helpful when drinking protein shakes. The protein powder can have a tendency to absorb a lot of liquids from your system upsetting any "regularity" balance in place. This is to be interpreted as a choice on my behalf, I am not an advocate for any particular diet I have just found a healthy way to start controlling an out of control habit of overeating. I have more energy and a better attitude which is funny to be able to attribute eating "more" to that conclusion.

Here in the link below WebMD has an article that maybe interesting for you to read if you are torn between the 3 square meals or 6. Keep in mind they are discussing what is better for weight loss, while my approach encompasses both health and the average of 4 lb.s a week I have lost in a one month trial. Again, I have found something that works for me, but we are all different! The worst thing you can do is find out something doesn't work for you and move on:)

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/3-hour-diet-or-3-meals-a-day

*Remember to always educate yourself on any extreme diet change.

Superfoods: Kale and Beans

I am in no way advocating a completely meat-free diet or judging anyone who adheres to one. Years ago I personally worked in a raw, organic, vegan kitchen and it was a lot of fun. I feel that people should be very understanding that it truly is a lifestyle and a lot of work. Being "Vegan" or "Vegetarian" isn't just not eating meat or animal by-products. To be healthy and to safely live a meat-free life you need to supplement correctly with foods that will make up for not eating the sources of some pretty important vitamins and minerals. While no one actually likes to hear that they should eat "fats" it is also a pretty important component to overall health and energy.

In my, so far, short existence I have encountered many different ideas on food and feeding the body. There are many correct ways to make that happen and then there are many detrimentally unhealthy reasons for not being healthy. Since food is such an important part of my life I love getting to talk to people about how and what they eat, and sometimes that isn't the true nature of our conversations. In listening to people and watching them I have learned a little about "some things" and enough for form a small opinion.

Here I would like to share that I myself have struggled with my weight and have tried many different "eating habits" to maintain or control myself for optimum health. Anything you read here is an observation of a wide variety of experiences and an educated guess at best, but generally that is what most sciences are.

The inspiration for this rambling today comes to you via "MindBodyGreen" a health forum I follow on Facebook. I love their posts because they have great ideas along with RELIABLE information. There is nothing more frustrating than reading about something I find on the internet or even in a magazine regarding health, passing that information on to my friends or family, and then finding out I have to track them down to tell them it was wrong. And YES, that is something I DO, just ask The Hunebee! It is very comforting to know that MindBodyGreen does their research keeping their opinions to themselves till they have gotten to the bottom of all the possibilities:)

Today we are not talking about why Animal Meat products are bad, rather what foods you can eat that have as much if not more of the vital nutrients and less of the cholesterol. This is also inspired by the constant struggle I have with picky eaters, staunch childhood diets, and emotional pacifiers. There is a MAJOR balance between food "The Vitality for LIFE" and food "The Hobby."

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6142/All-Hail-Kale-Infographic.html This is a great article from MindBodyGreen with some amazing facts about Kale.

"Did you know that kale has more iron than beef, or more calcium than milk." 

That is the first line in the article, how could that not grab you!! I also learned from MarthaStewart.com that the colder the weather the sweeter the kale, making fall through spring the best time to grow or eat.

Some great Kale recipes can be found here:

For those of you that LOVE bacon and the tang of apple cider vinegar check out:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/braised-kale-with-bacon-cider-10000000577156/

Everyone knows how much I love Garbanzo beans, if you do as well go here:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/garbanzo-beans-greens-50400000109639/

I love a very basic kale, cooked down, a little spicy and definitely with fresh lemon. Try Martha's recipe:
http://www.marthastewart.com/862205/spicy-sauteed-kale-lemon?czone=food%2Fwinter-produce%2Fwinter-produce&gallery=286367&slide=862205&center=1009854


BEANS!
Protein, Fiber and Antioxidants OH MY! By the way Red Meat has little or no fiber (found on WebMD's article http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/beans-protein-rich-superfoods), but I'm not cutting out meats entirely, I'm just giving you an option that you can add to your meals. Red meats shouldn't be eaten with every meal or even every day,  and with "Super foods" like beans you don't have to. Here is an excerpt from WebMd on the importance of Beans and the benefits to your health and weight loss:

"Beans are comparable to meat when it comes to calories, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Wellness Institute in Chicago and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. But they really shine in terms of fiber and water content, two ingredients that make you feel fuller, faster. Adding beans to your diet helps cut calories without feeling deprived."
(By Jenny Stamos Kovacs WebMD the Magazine - Feature Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD)

*Who doesn't want to feel full on less?!

Besides my bean recipes here are some great ones that I've found while searching around:

Slow cooked tomato and herb white beans from theKitchn.com

http://www.thekitchn.com/slowcooked-tomato-and-herb-whi-97163

Here is a Three Bean salad from Allrecipes.com it's a sweet version of the bean salads that I often post:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Three-Bean-Salad-5/Detail.aspx?prop24=RD_RelatedRecipes

I had these at a local soda shop in San Diego and they were fantastic! Roasted crispy Chickpea's from Steamykitchen.com :
http://www.steamykitchen.com/10725-crispy-roasted-chickpeas-garbanzo-beans.html

I have met many people who don't understand not eating meat every day, or at least for dinner every night. While meats have their benefits they also have consequences. I see that if you can eat something else once in a while and not deprive yourself of the health requirements, then why not? That, in the first sentence, is the most obvious answer to why there is so much more meat consumption....people don't understand. Like all eating habits it is about education. We all love to indulge, but when indulgence meets health safety we have to grow up and think outside the box. I am lucky to have a toddler who will eat most anything you place in front of her. Oddly she prefers not to eat as much meat as she does beans and vegetables, but that is a win in my book.

So to conclude kale and beans are a great source of iron, calcium, protein, fiber and a mixed alphabet of vitamins. Some of those vital nutrients prove much higher than that of red meat, which is a great thing for creating healthier eating habits and learning new things.

Tahini is MY new Peanut-butter!

About a month and a half ago, after the girls started their diets, I started a protein shake regiment. Christine uses Herbalife and Kat uses Body by Vi. I purchased a generic chocolate whey protein powder which I actually found to have more protein per serving than both of those other two products and is cheaper. I love cheap stuff. In the beginning I used one scoop of powder, 6-8 oz. of water and 1 frozen banana. There are people who use peanut butter for added protein and of course flavor but I saw that as a lot of unnecessary fat. Christine found out that bodybuilders and weights enthusiasts use a dehydrated form of peanut butter that is somewhere around 70% less fat (might be higher) and has all the benefits of protein and flavor. I looked for dehydrated peanut butter and the only place that carried it that I could drive to was GNC, I'm assuming it's a specialty product, and it was way tooo expensive for "peanut butter."

I found a solution in substitution and that came in the form of "Tahini." Tahini is sesame seed paste most commonly used in "Hummus." It has many wonderful health benefits and a great nutty flavor. I use a brand that roasts the seeds before they are ground down which has shown to boost the level of calcium per serving and has been proven to be the type of calcium most easily absorbed by the body. There is also a huge difference in "hulled" and "unhulled" sesame seeds. Unhulled sesame seeds are still in the casing and the most healthy of the two. Hulled sesame is obviously seeds no longer in the casing which has been proven to show a major decrease in calcium levels. So to recap use unhulled, roasted or toasted for the highest serving of calcium. Sesame seeds is also a great source of magnesium, copper, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber. (reference and information found on http://saveourbones.com/the-power-of-the-sesame-seed/)

Now for added vitamins, overall health and flavor I use 1 Tbs. of roasted Tahini paste in my protein shake every morning. The flavor is great and although it is not peanut butter, it isn't really a comparison, and just tastes awesome! LASTLY, but not least it's GLUTEN FREE.

TRY IT!

Smothered Pork Chops...(a play on Pork and Beans)

This has been a crazy week. There has been so much to do but without a structure it's thrown me off my horse a bit. I've gotten to spend time with family, which is always a plus, but my Monday Madness turned into a Tasty Tuesday. Having a structure to my week is really important and pushing even one thing back or out of the way can cause a domino effect. My Wednesday night meeting had to take a back seat to a whole lot of restructuring. On a more positive note I was finally able to fix the "Coming Soon" page on my Website and it was an adventure! Now it has a professional landing page and a second page "About Me", but at this time it's redirect back to this Blogspot. I have to admit while the Website is challenging it is also very exciting.

Last night I decided I needed to center myself around a table of good food and family. I invited my Sissie-in-law and her boyfriend over to eat and laugh with us. Earlier in the day I had made a batch of garbanzo beans, fresh tomatoes, garlic and green olives (recipe found in "You say Chickpea, I say Garbanzo bean.) it was meant for the baby and I to snack on for a couple days. It  was decided that it would be a great side to dinner so I added a can of white beans so there was enough for the four of us (Ty excluded, he dislikes Beans with a vengeance). The carrot salad from last week sounded like a great addition as well. Dinner turned into a fancy Pork and Beans, which was an observation once we sat that was more funny than literal. I had bought fresh Oaxaca Cream (Sour Cream) from a Mexican market near my house last Sunday that I knew I was going to use for this very dish. This smothered pork, I had many times growing up but had never really made on my own or atleast this successful anyway. I also reduced the pnion's in a Cabernet Ty bought for me last week, which he picked out very well, and I was pleasantly surprised with it. The Wine was not a part of the recipe from when I was a kid which is a perfect example of the method to my madness.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Price for WHOLE dinner: about $15.00

Ingredients:

4 bone-in pork chops, trim fat
3 Tbs. butter, to fry pork chops
2 1/2 cups onion sliced into rings
2 cups stock or broth, I used chicken
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
16 oz. Oaxaca Cream (Sour Cream)
salt and sepper
sprinkle of parsley flake

Directions: Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops' and fry on both sides in butter. I did two at a time as to not crowd the pan and to achieve browning, which is integral for the onions and basis for the sauce. Make sure they are cooked all the way through and set the pork aside to finish the sauce.

This is the wine I used to deglaze my onions. It has a great flavor for savory meals although you could use any white or red wine that isn't sweet. I used red because it's what I had.

Saute your onions in olive oil and add 1 cup of the stock once they start cooking down. When they soak up a majority of the stock, which should take about 15 minutes, add the wine and let it cook down for about 5 minutes on med/high. Remember to also salt the onions and add the parsley flake at this point.

Before adding the cream use the remaining cup of stock and simmer for about 5-7 minutes.

 Add the cream in all at once and mix with a whisk to incorporate quickly, turn the heat down to Low/Med so you don't burn the cream or break it down. Salt and Pepper again if needed. Cook for an additional 5 or so minutes and then remove from the heat.

I put the pork chops in the Sauce and submerged them to soak while I got everything to the table. All the juice that collects on the plate where they are resting adds a great dimension to the sauce.

It was so awesome it was hard for us to stop eating! I sadly have to admit we used almost a whole loaf of white bread to soak up the sauce...shhhhh...secrets! This will surely be a favorite in any household!

ENJOY!

Last Monday's Menu 11/11

Here is a few of the sides included on Last Mondays Menu. A few quick easy AND HEALTHY meat free eats!

White Beans and Mushrooms, braised in Low Sodium Chicken stock.

1 can of White Beans, drained

1 8oz. pkg. of Button Mushrooms, sliced

3/4 cup of Chicken Stock

2 tsp. of dried Parsely 

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Saute Mushrooms lightly in Olive oil. Add beans, Stock and Parsley. Low simmer for 10 minutes.

Coleslaw:

1/2 head of Purple Cabbage

1/4 cup of Celery, sliced thin

2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped

2 Green Onions, chopped

Dressing:

1/2 cup Olive oil

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbs. Ginger powder

2-3 tsp. Knorr Chicken Base

Asparagus sauteed in Olive oil, Lemon pepper and Garlic powder.

1 lb. Asparagus

3 Tbs. Olive oil

Lemon pepper and Garlic powder to taste

Pre heat oven to 375. On a cookie sheet lay the Asparagus out flat. Drizzle Olive oil and sprinkle Lemon pepper and Garlic powder evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

This Little Piggy...

11/4's feast needed a large dose of protein, and I decided that a baked, glazed Pork Sirloin Roast sounded GREAT! In my Dutch Oven, which was an amazing gift from Christine (@thehunebee), I browned the roast on both sides. Seasoned with pepper, salt and Ginger powder, deglaze the pan with 1/4-1/3 cup of water. I added some of the roasted garlic that I made with the peppers. I also added a 1/4 of a purple onion. I put the roast in a 350° oven for 15-20 minutes. Removed from the oven and sliced. In the pot with all the goodies, place it on a burner turned up high and add 1Tbsp of brown sugar let it bubble up then add ABOUT 1/4 cup of beer, any kind. Turn heat off and stir vigorously until the foam dissipates and your left with a malty sweet glaze. Pour over pork and toss!!!     

Roast was a Buy1Get1 at Albertsons, $6.75 for 2 lb.