Category — Food, Drink, and Health

I’m pretty lazy when it comes to cooking, but making soup is a great way to combat several cooking-related issues.

a. If you make a huge batch of soup, you can eat it for several days afterward, so you don’t have to cook much else.

b. You don’t have to be a good cook to make a good soup. In fact, experimentation is a must, to find your most delicious match.

c. It’s really easy to make a good tasting soup, and pretty hard to make a gross one, unless you have zero skill.

d. Soup is cheap, I’m talking delicious healthy hearty meals for less than 80 cents a serving. Depends on what you put in and what quantity you make, but most likely your cost to food outcome will be cheap.

e. It’s an easy way to get some nutritious, and warm-your-soul goodness, if you’ll let me go that far. Soup is great, especially now that it’s getting colder in most places. Have it hot, with some crackers, bread, or just alone, and it will make you feel great.

The soups I make have a plethora of vegetables, and often some chicken sausage or something of that nature. I’ve only made one bad batch out of like 23. I plan on making and exploring many soups this Fall and Winter.

Soup-a-loup!

I had seen these before without giving them a second thought, until one day while shopping at Trader Joe’s, I wanted something sweet to eat, and I thought I might like some chocolate chip cookies. I took a look at the information for these Righteous Rounds (nutritional information here), because they were on display, and seemed kind of expensive ($3.49 for an 8 oz. bag)(okay, expensive for Trader Joe’s, that is), and I wondered what was so special. I was intrigued to see some fruit and vegetable concentrates listed (apple, broccoli, carrot, cranberries, orange, tomatoes!) so I decided to try them.

I think, since then (which was probably a month ago), we’ve eaten like 5 bags. The first night we opened them, we finished them within an hour. I think it was part pig-out, part phenomenal cookie perplexities! We couldn’t believe how awesome they are.

The bag claims they “have never been heated to more than 75 degrees” though we don’t know how that’s possible if ingredients like butter are included. They are nice and crispy, so as one blogger put it: “Sorry soft chocolate chip cookie lovers- you won’t be too fond of these. These cookies are sweet though and very tasty. They are “hard”, but in a good way.” This health nut also described them well, and the health benefits they oddly have, like lycopene and added vitamins and minerals.

Sure, they’re not totally healthy for you, but as far as cookies go, they’re pretty great for you. And there’s nothing lacking in taste.

My best friend and her husband were in town and they eat healthily, though he values taste and won’t sacrifice it for tofu (ha), and I had them try them. She was hesitant at first, but then went for more (she says if she’s going to eat sugar, it’s going to be real sugary- like Dairy Queen). And I love his quote, he took on a more sugar-addicted population point of view:

“They taste kind of weird, but I find myself really wanting another one.”

Indeed, watch out for sharing a whole bag, which I don’t recommend (but have done), but these are a wonderful tasty and semi-healthy junk food snack. Pack a small bag for lunch, or portion some out in the evening for a crunchy, sweet, taste-bud-tantalizing delight.

Remember that awesome part in Better Off Dead when the mother serves up some blue raisin schloop? Then it goes and slurps right off the plate? I love that movie!

I just finished wasting over an hour on a whirlwind readabout: Gwyneth Paltrow, Goop, her marriage and its rumored disintegration, and a blogger who really has it out for “fishsticks” paltrow.

I eagerly signed up for Goop’s weekly newsletter after seeing her on the Tonight Show a few weeks back, touting its practical and environmental wonders. I like eating healthy, and travel, and “nourishing my inner self”, so I jumped on the boat.

Honestly, I mostly forgot about it as well. The email address I signed up for is my spammy account so there are a bunch of lists and sites I’ve signed up for (like the daily news in French) that I rarely read. I did read it once or twice, but was slightly depressed about her advertising of a detox cleanse I could never afford.

After my adventures in pointless research, I realized how stupid the site is for most everyday humans (and I had already had my suspicions due to this pricey fashion advice) and I will unsubscribe, if I have the motivation to even do that. I figure another less-than-positive blog review will hurt more than one less subscriber on the list.

To continue my adventure- who ever said Twitter isn’t a wonderful way of peeking into others’ lives?! I found other people who related to feeling poor and worthless after reading about all of these wonderful things she writes about that cost hundreds and/or thousands of dollars!

Here are some of my favorites:

A British woman writes: “gwyneth, I’m just not interested in your ridiculous tosh today. you and me are over.” (I had to look up tosh, and as I suspected, it is similar to rubbish. that’s grand!)

A woman from ‘beantown’ writes: “Reading GOOP. Why do I do this to myself?” it will likely make you feel bad about yourself, with few exceptions.

there are others, but i want to maybe focus on doing something actually productive, having wasted so much time reading about gwyneth and a possible boob job? gwyneth stealing the idea for goop from some beet lady?!

i like to think of myself as a pretty good person, but i’d be better if i had just a little more money. ha.

I did just find this quote from her, while doing even MORE research for this ‘article’. I like it for a number of reasons I’ve bolded: (May 2009)

“She tells Life & Style magazine, “It’s hard! Nothing is as good as it looks. Life is complicated, and there are always issues to overcome. Yesterday, he went to Australia, and I came here (New York); you have to accept that. We’re brutally honest with each other. Even if, God forbid, we weren’t together in 10 years or whatever, I think we’re like a family.”

also like the “I think we’re like a family” because that is just kind of weird to say. i mean, aren’t they family?! i definitely partially wrote this article out of jealousy at her richness. whatever. she’s decent. the site is, eh, alright, if you have a lot of money floating around.

i know i’m a decent person, because now i feel sort of bad. like, hey, she’s a human, it’s tough to be a celebrity, but then i remember the quote i read about her saying “f#$% the haters!” about blog criticism, and i’m like, hey, all’s fair in life and hollyweird-ness.

i’m bitter. and i do like the bitter taste of dandelion leaf in a juice, like the one i made last night. a girl can take small, steady steps.

p.s. i was finishing up reading about the detox program (and finding myself still experiencing that love-hate feeling) when i stumbled upon a girl named ally’s awesome comment:

“Frankly, this is a “lose weight through diarrhea” diet plan.
Going for a run is better than the runs, IMO.”

oh, humor! how you help remind me to enjoy life, and to remember the other people out there going through life in a realistic manner.

I bought a Garmin Forerunner 305 on Craigslist, which I just finished knocking in terms of real employment opportunities, for a much better price than anywhere else I had found.

I was happy that it worked, and today I’ve spent some time setting it up, and figuring out my maximum heart rate (which my mother told me can be found by subtracting your age from 220).

Now it’s time to take it for a run. I’m going to try and do a pace run where I push myself a little. I’m not very methodical in my ways. I am running the Philadelphia 1/2 Marathon in November (11/22/2009) and my goal is to get under 2 hours, which would be under a 9:10 pace. I think that is doable, seeing that my goal would be like an 8 and a 1/2 minute pace, but it’s for 13.1 miles, which I’ve never done before.

As I said, I’m not very methodical, but I am enjoying myself all along the way, and I hope to continue to do that up until race day- read more about my training here!

***1 hour later ***** Ugh. Went for a run. The Garmin pedometer GPS thing seems awesome. My performance, however, did not. I got depressed. At first, I was all excited because it was cool out (or so I thought- later I realized it was pretty humid). I pushed myself and I’m embarrassed to say I did not get under a 9-minute mile. I blame my dog for stopping to pull a #2, and then I feel bad for blaming her.

(what is wrong with me?! how could you even pretend to be mad at this ball of fluffy cuteness!?!?!)

But overall I’m excited to figure out the Garmin and its many possibilities- virtual partner, pacing, heart rate, etc.! (Just might have to leave the dog at home )

My father has stage IV non-small cell cancer. At least that’s what a doctor told him, though he is unique because there are spots where it has metastasized, but there is no large area where he has it.

Unfortunately it was so serious when he found out. He is going through chemotherapy (just had his 1st round yesterday), and is being responsible medically to get it taken care of.

Fortunately, and happily for me, he is also open to and is doing whatever he can to help his physical health. He is willing to take supplements, drink teas and kombuchas, he started drinking Xango, and he even likes the juices I’ve been making him.

My juicing involves heavy amounts of leafy greens such as kale and spinach, and other veggies like carrots, celery, parsley, cucumbers, maybe even some tomatoes, and fruits like apples or grapes to help the taste, and garlic and ginger for additional flavor and health benefits. It tastes good to me, and it tastes better because I know it is helping my health. I aim to keep making it for him to help keep his body as healthy as possible.

It’s only been about 2 weeks since we found out, and it’s been tough since then. Ups and downs, and a huge mix of emotions. I have been proactive (making juice), and ordering things and reading things and I got the family bracelets and pins and such. I got free books from the R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation, and free pamphlets, brochures, and other helpful informational materials from the Lung Cancer Alliance. They even have a phone buddy program (but I’ve been playing phone tag because I’ve been so busy).

It’s amazing how much hope and inspiration is out there. I was skimming through these books, which I plan to take over to my Dad with some juice in a bit, and I was reading about “approaches” or attitudes with cancer.

My favorite one is this, the one they encourage of course:

“Hope. Hoping is an active process in which one imagines a positive future based on a realistic assessment of the present. Hope does not blot out the bad. Instead, it emphasizes the positive.” (from Fighting Cancer by Annette and Richard Bloch)

The other “approaches” are 2) hope plus denial, 3) total denial, and 4) giving up. I am HOPING my father can allow himself to grow into an appropriate HOPE style. One where he is doing all he can (which he already is doing a good job of), and can factor in the scary parts too, but with a positive outcome as the hopeful end.

I also hope our mixed family can all see this as a time to forgive and forget, and talk about things, and I hope this will help us remember what is important in life.

I got one. I really aim to keep my “personal life” out of my blog, but this is too much of a thing to not talk about, as it will be an issue for a bit. Cancer. In my direct family. I’ve had an aunt die of breast cancer, and my Grandpa passed away in February from cancer (though he did beat a few types before that). I’m still way too much in shock to really know what to think.

But my healthy instincts geared right up with “doing”. I have already dropped off some Kombucha, and made mad-healthy-fresh juice (which Mrak and I have done twice), to my father.

Luckily he liked the juice, which today had Kale, Celery, Carrots, Apples, an Orange, Parsley, Ginger, and Garlic in it. Woohoo for juicing! It also makes me much happier to be doing the half-marathon because my cardio has been lacking. Walking is great, but I don’t get my heart rate up enough. And running helps me release aggression and/or helps me have less aggression (not to mention anxiety!).

Needless to say I’m pretty upset, and scared. But I have hope. I really want to bring more healthy food into my dad’s life, and maybe we could go walking. Since I live nearby him and his 3 kids from his first marriage don’t, I can do us all a favor and be a huge support to him. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t.

I like juicing really healthy greens, and sometimes even if it doesn’t taste the best, I know it’s what’s good for me, and I like it because of that. Plus, eating healthy grows on you. And if you lessen the high-fructose corn syrup in your diet, your taste buds improve. I know I need to keep doing that.

Anyway, I could ramble on for all sorts of hundreds of words, but I better go do some orderly things, and get to bed at a decent hour so I can get up early for the 4th of July, and there’s a reason why which I will blog about like I have most years since I found Darryl Nathan.

Organic Mary’s Gone Crackers Sticks and Twigs snack is out of control awesome. I mean, I’m blogging at 1:40 am directly after eating them for the first time, and I could not resist spreading the good word.

They’re:

-wheat-free
-gluten-free
-whole grain

AND they’re made of amazing yummy good-for-you ingredients like:

-brown rice
-flax seed
-amaranth
-quinoa

and more! and more importantly, they’re actually delicious!!!

yes that’s right. delicious.

I had the sea salt flavor and listen to these nutritional facts:

For 15 sticks it’s 150 calories , 5g fat , 4g fiber! , and 4g protein – No Sugar!

Whoops, I was test-tasting them and I probably had like 2 servings
So, you could eat too many of them, but probably they’ll be just right for many people looking for a crunchy yummy snack taste that’s sort of (looks) like a pretzel that tastes sort of like a cracker.

Highly recommended!

once upon a time, in the throes of a woeful adolescence (after a “heart-breaking” breakup), i went to a camp, and i walked around with a plastic water bottle filled with straight-up vodka. my good friend j.lee was proud of me for chugging it without making a face; and i’d do that whenever necessary. there were some good times at that camp, and some bad times, and sometimes i couldn’t hurt the hurt anymore, so i used that as a small bandaid.

now, later in life, i still like to drink on occasion, but as i get older and older, my body and health are much more easily affected and sensitive in general. i also have to -gasp- almost watch my weight (anyone who knows me knows i used to be a skinny lil thang!- but alas- when i hit the double-0 decade my metabolism mad slowed), so drinking a lot is not okay for many reasons.

i love vodka. i love a good screwdriver. i used to love them because i thought that it was at least a decent amount of hydration, and, again, if you know me, you’ve probably heard me say “hydration is the key to success”. well, even a screwdriver has a lot of calories, and too much sugar for me personally. shots suck. i can’t even do them anymore, and they’re unnecessary, unenjoyable, and unrefined.

so when my great healthy blogger real-life friend bhealthier lady mentioned having one of these i had to stop, and look it up. i felt like i’d heard of them before, and my boyf had recently joked about drinking them.

they are a reality!

not just a reality, but a great idea!!

one of the first hits is a website that has a name that sounds like mine- extratasty! their vodka water recipe is just what i was hoping it would be- ice, vodka, water, and more! check out people’s comments about it. i can relate to a lot of these pros, and i haven’t even had one yet.

this realitycheck site has a discussion on vodka waters i enjoyed reading because it has opinions about how to drink them (temperature, with or without lime, etc), and it even has some great pros: “A 5th pro for someone like me is that I wouldn’t get heartburn like I do when mixing vodka with an acidic juice.”

recipezaar has a girlie-esque vodka water recipe that sounds more like a screwdriver or mixed drink than good ol’ hardcore vodka water. i’m sayin that and i’m still only just dreaming about trying one.

i’m so excited about the prospect i almost wanted to make myself one right now. it’s a good sign i did not, seeing as it is late, sunday night, and, yeah. i don’t need to go there. but there is a holiday coming up over the weekend!

I recently watched about half of a documentary on cancer, food choice, and even how dental health (think mercury in fillings) has majorly been and still is effecting Americans (as well as other humans, but Americans are the piggiest in my opinion). Though I haven’t finished the documentary, (due to getting distressed about my silver fillings, among the other gruesome images contained within), a main point came across again to me loud and clear: that eating healthily is the best thing you can ever do for yourself. And getting holistic and embracing food as your life source.

And, I’ve recently been greatly enjoying my friend’s blog “Body, Mind, Soul” which is by far the most advanced blog I’ve seen of any of my friends (its aim is to share her journey of working to “Be Healthier in Every Aspect of Life” and I think the accomplishments in this blog/in her life are worth noticing). I wouldn’t have imagined someone I used to eat gingerbread men cookies while lying on the floor late at night in college would come up with all that. I think it’s the food she’s eating, and the way she’s taking care of her whole self, that fuel her energetic and creative abilities to lead such an admirable life and to document it so well.

I give her mad props for photographing almost all of her food intake in any given day, and for keeping up with eating so healthily (not to mention she does it with a modest budget in mind, and eats meat here and there (which I’m a big fan of when accompanied by veggies and such)). And I love her point in the “about this blog”: “I try to nourish myself with what I need, be it carrots or carrot cake, hugs and laughter, yoga or aerobics, wine or water. I try to never attach ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in terms of food.” She has a good attitude about food/cooking/shopping for it, and working on caring for her mind and soul seems to be helping her keep a well-rounded integrity and dedication to health.

I’m trying to sound more eloquent than usual, thinking of my recent lack of quality posts. And, my struggles with eating healthily. It’s not really a struggle at all when I get in the habit. I LOVE KALE! I will eat a plate filled with vegetables and some tofu or whole-wheat noodles and feel more than satiated. But it’s the excuses about cooking, shopping, and the time it takes to make food at all . Not to mention, if I’m eating too much sugar and processed foods, my taste buds forget what quality food is.

In short- check out this blog. It’s got a lot of great information (she’s taking nutrition courses), food ideas with tasty visuals, and touching tidbits from her personal life that inspire you to maybe make some changes of your own. The writer is a gem of a human, and I feel a renewed sense of connection with her based on just a few of the entries in her blog. I’m proud too. Way to go, Laural!

Read about her Body Mind Soul blog now!

This has saved my life, my thirst, my future. I always say, and I quote Amandoo: “Hydration is the key to success”. It really makes a lot of differences. And soder and coffee do not do you good. (But I sure do love me some coffee!)

Anyway, boyfriend and I used to get small (liter) bottles and drink them for fun, with the different natural flavors (this is no sugar, mind you, just “natural” and perhaps “artificial” flavors).

Then we got all thirsty, and he was wondering about all those “flavors” so we started buying 2 liter, store-brand, plain seltzer water. And we purchase fresh lemons.

I think it’s helped balance my pH levels (acid vs. alkaline) and it’s a great alternative to water. I guess the bubbles aren’t the best for you (COME ON SELF! LEAVE IT A REST!!! It is much better than soda-death)

I needsta put up a picture of these beauts. And I can always drink more. So this is my tip for hydration success- buy seltzer: buy plain, and buy large- and get you some fresh lemons for squeezin- i usually do about a 20 oz. cup of seltzer with half a lemon, give or take.

DO IT!