Kale-A-Lujah!

This week, I made a few of my tried and true recipes, and tried a couple of new creations as well!

I made two soups this week. One, an old standby that I make often in the winter months (Potato Leek), and another new recipe, courtesy of my sister in law Nikki: Asparagus-Potato.

They are both delicious!

The Asparagus Potato soup is actually called “Garden Fresh Asparagus Soup” and is made with lemon zest, curry, and coconut milk - but it was a rainy and cold day, so I changed up the recipe to make it a more hearty “winter soup”. I will be making the correct version as the weather warms.

(not my photo!)

For both soups, prepare a "bouquet garni" with cheesecloth, or tulle, or...whatever (pantyhose?), containing 20 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme. When I make the Potato Look Soup, I use two leek leaves, crossed over each other and then alternately folded to make a packet, and tied with string. For the Asparagus Potato soup, I cut up a Tu-Tu. Yes, a Tu-Tu. I happened to have one laying around.

Here is how you make both soups:

Cut up two pieces of bacon (I used Sunday Morning Organic, the FM was sold out of Holding Ranch Bacon)
Fry the pieces in 2 T of butter until the bacon starts to render its fat
Add and saute a chopped onion (or the thinly sliced, white parts of two leeks if you’re making the Potato Leek soup)
Add ½ Cup of dry white wine (or organic chicken broth if you don’t have wine on hand)
Bring to a boil
Add:
The bouquet garni
2 cups or 1 pound of small red potatoes (skin on) sliced or cubed
5 Cups of Organic Chicken Broth
¾ t of white pepper and 1 1/2 t of salt
Simmer for 30 minutes
(For the Asparagus-Potato soup: add 2 cups of chopped asparagus after 15 minutes and continue simmering for the remaining 15 minutes.)
After 30 minutes total, remove the bouquet garni
Use an immersion blender to get rid of lumps
Add ½ Cup of Crème Fraiche (or heavy whipping cream, or light coconut milk) and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, to taste.

Enjoy!


I also made one of our favorites (the whole family, boy and all, will eat this one!):



Mini Beef Sliders with Garlic Aioli Sauce & Caramelized Onions, with a side of Sweet Potato Fries!


The ground beef was a local grass fed organic from Holding Ranch.

Wow, can I just tell you that I’m not so sure I like beef after all (at least ground), now that I know what it actually tastes like? Sort of like bison (per Rob, who likes bison). It’s kind of “gamey” or “animal-ly” tasting. It doesn’t taste at all like the ground beef I used to eat. That stuff, come to think of it, doesn’t really taste like anything at all. Maybe I’ll stick a Portobello in the slider next time.


Aioli Sauce:
5 T buttermilk
3 T light mayo
2 cloves garlic
Pinch of salt
Teaspoon of lemon juice



Sweet Potato Fries: (If you’re like me, you either burn ‘em, or they’re not crisp. I found the “PERFECT FRY” recipe here: Instructables website. And it worked!!

A tip: Do NOT pre-toss them in a bowl like I used to, just put the cut potatoes on foil or parchment paper on a cookie sheet and drizzle the olive oil, sea salt and pepper directly on them, push them around with a wooden spoon or spatula, then arrange so they aren’t touching each other. I had to turn my oven down a bit and cook them about 5 minutes less (400 degrees for 15 minutes, flip, then 10 more minutes).

I'm making the Stuffed Portobellos again tonight! So good. But this time, instead of two mushrooms as a main course, we'll have one, along with a bowl of Potato Leek soup, and enjoy them for two nights!


I tried to scan the recipes for the Portobellos AND the Thai Chili, after receiving a few requests, but was unable to. If you're interested, just send me an email and I will send you the attachments that way!


And the super-duper find this week?

Kale Chips!

My name is Eline, and I’m a chip-aholic. Seriously, I’ve never met a potato chip that I could stop eating after the first handful. My grandpa Frank used to call me “Mouse”, because every time I visited, it was like they had mice sneaking into their cupboards and eating all their chips! It’s a real problem for me. I made whole wheat pita chips and hummus this week as well, but found that I could eat those like Lays, and at 130 calories per pita, well, it adds up after about four pita’s worth in one sitting! I'll reserve those for camping and parties.

But Kale…..Wow! These crunched and tasted surprisingly like actual potato chips! It was WEIRD! And exciting!

I bought a few bunches of Kale at the farmers market and was planning on the ol’ saute in olive oil with garlic and serve over quinoa dish, when I read this recipe in “Real Simple” magazine. I Laughed Out Loud, because excuse me, I know chips, and you can’t make a chip out of a hearty, leafy green. Oh yes you can! Or as my friend Arlene would say, “Oh, KALE yes!” (she actually said "Oh, Kale NO", because I don’t think she thought it was a very good idea):

Clean and chop some kale
Toss with a small amount of olive oil (I used too much the first batch…it seems that kale is kind of oily on its own and doesn’t need much extra)
Sprinkle with some sea salt
Arrange on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes at 300 and voila! You have a healthy chip!

(Shhhhh! Are those angels singing?)

So GOOD! I plan on spending a few hours this weekend making a super-batch to test out "how well they keep". (eye roll, chuckle, eye roll)

By the way...I lost 5 pounds on my first week of Clean Eating without necessarily trying, and have held if off this week. An added bonus!

The Winners....And The Losers.

One week down! Actually, more like 10 days.

A lot of people think that buying all organic is expensive. I think my experiment has proven that this is not the case. I believe the processed, packaged, convenient foods are what break the bank. Grains and legumes are relatively inexpensive, as is produce - organic or not. Meat, especially good quality beef, now that's another story. But before the industrialized food revolution, our grandparents, or great grandparents, paid a premium for meat. But they also didn't eat it every day (unless they were wealthy). Meat, Beef in particular, has been relegated to a "once in a while" luxury in our house.

I have wholesome-ness over flowing from every crack and crevice of my kitchen. Some of these recipes would feed a family of 5 for three days. I think I spent about $175 and have enough food for two (sometimes three) people for well over 10 days. As far as the recipes, there were some hits...and there were definitely some misses!

First up, the Thai Chili!

Yes, you caught me, I photographed the Thai Chili photo from the magazine. But look at mine....

It turned out sort of "peach" colored. But it's definitely a keeper. Even Jacob tried it! It also thickened up quite a bit by days two and three!

Then there was the Halibut Burrito Casserole.

This (brown rice, black beans, corn, cilantro, scallion, roasted red pepper, et al):

Plus this (halibut with cumin and lime juice):

Equals this:

Rob "liked" it, and I ate it for two days so as not to waste it, but it wasn't the most pleasurable meal I've eaten. Sadly, this one is a "miss" in my opinion and will not be going into the binder. It was very dry...and tasted like cardboard.

Next up was the Slow Cooker Curried Chickpea/Rutabaga/Hearty Greens over Brown Rice debacle:

It was good, don't get me wrong. The reason I call it a debacle is because I like variety, and this, much like the Thai Chili and Halibut Casserole, would feed a larger family for a few days. Two dinners and a lunch, and I  had to toss about a half gallon out. Ouch! It was "OK", but I don't think I'll make it again. It's true "hippy" food, if you know what I mean. A little too "crunchy" for my taste (and I don't mean the chickpeas...although they could have cooked a little longer).

The Stuffed Portobellos are a definite keeper! Yummy giant portobellos stuffed with zucchini, onion, garlic, tomato, roasted red peppers, whole wheat bread crumbs, fresh basil, and plenty of Parmesan cheese! Yes, this one is going in the binder:

One of my top three faves is a Weight Watchers recipe that I "made clean" by choosing the ingredients carefully. The cheese and spinach enchiladas are divine:

Oops! It was so good I forgot to photograph it until it was almost too late! It looks like a hot mess, and it was!

Another excellent Weight Watchers recipe, easily converted into "clean", is the Mushroom Risotto: (this photo is from our NYE 2011 dinner party, but it's so good that I make it at least twice a month!). I'll be making this again tonight:

So my picks:
Mushroom Risotto
Cheese and Spinach Enchiladas
Thai Chili
Stuffed Portobellos
Hearty Green over Quinoa (from an earlier post):

And my pans:
Halibut Burrito Casserole (it doesn't even sound good, what was I thinking?)
Slow Cooker Chickpea and Rutabaga (even if I cut the recipe down, it was too much work for one meal, and not tasty enough to eat for multiple days, so there you go.)

Now, time to start on my shopping list for next week!

Just Say "No"!

I know I've been harping on this issue since way back in March when I first introduced you to #431, but after a week of clean eating, and realizing I can actually do this, (and it feels fabulous I might add!), and simultaneously realizing that "Gosh! I haven't eaten meat in a week and hardly noticed!" (except for a fish), I decided to firmly, and emphatically, "just say no".

"No" to what? Meat? Oh, heck no! Not exactly. Read on......

In the United States, nearly 25 million pounds of antibiotics per year, up from 16 million in the mid 1980s, are given to healthy animals for “agriculture purposes”.

What this means is that, due to the unnatural and unsanitary conditions in feed lots, which is where my little friend, #431, spent the last 150 days of his life before slaughter, the animals are likely to become ill with any number of “feed lot” diseases so they must be routinely fed large amounts of antibiotics.

Why do you suppose steer can only survive the feed lots for 150 days? If feed lots are so efficient, why not just raise the steer on a feed lot instead of letting them graze for the first year of their lives? (they're actually working on "developing" cattle to withstand just that) As one feed lot veterinarian so delicately put it, any longer than 150 days and they’ll “blow out their livers”.

Cattle are ruminants. They have a rumen, or “2nd stomach” as some people call it, roughly the size of a medicine ball, that is full of naturally occurring bacteria that efficiently turn grass into high quality proteins. Once on the feed lot, the antibiotics need to be pumped into their water and into their corn and beef tallow feed each day because their systems are just not designed to eat these highly concentrated corn and fat diets.(I'm making their diet sound much more wholesome than it really is. You wouldn't believe the stuff that's in there!).

Another use of the antibiotics is to allow for faster growth. Scientists still haven't been able to quite explain how the use of antibiotics speeds growth, but it does, so they use them for that as well. In the early 1900’s, cattle were four or five years old at the time of slaughter. In the 50’s, it was two or three years old. Now, thanks to the increased use of antibiotics and corn/fat diets, a steer can reach maximum weight at 14 to 16 months.

There are several major concerns with the feed lot practices and their heavy use of “preventative” antibiotics. Growing evidence suggests that there could be a link between the antibiotic residue that is found in the meat, (and then ingested by humans), and the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Also, the antibiotic residue in the feed lot manure that is being used as an alternative to chemical fertilizers in the organic farming industry, is making its way into our produce. Yes, even my organic lettuce and potatoes have traceable amounts of antibiotics in them. There is also a high concentration of antibiotic and hormone residues, nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals in the "manure lagoons" that surround the feed lots. Essentially, turning what could be a precious natural resource, "manure", into toxic waste. Even non-organic farmers can't use this waste as it would kill their crops.

Another problem is that a growing body of research suggests that many of the health problems associated with eating beef are really problems with corn-fed beef. The use of a heavy corn and fat diet, which produces the lovely tasting and marbled beef we have become accustomed to, also increases the saturated fat and decreases the omega-3 fatty acids that would be found in the meat of animals that feed only on grass.


Finding grass finished beef is much harder than I thought. Even the "natural" and "antibiotic/hormone free" labels can be misleading. Those labels simply mean that the steer are not given the growth hormones and antibiotics while they are in their grazing period. They still end up on the feed lot where they are then pumped full of the stuff.

The amount of deception that the industry utilizes to make us feel safe is really mind blowing.

So I'm saying no. Grass finished or bust!

If you share my interest in eating natural, grass finished beef (and other meat), here is a directory of some Northern California ranches that raise meat safely and responsibly : Eat Wild California

What's For Dinner? (or breakfast, or lunch)

What do I eat on a clean or natural/whole foods eating plan?

First, I had to find some recipes. Then I had to shop in three different stores, plus a farmer's market to find everything I needed. I ended up spending about $150-$175  (which I don't think is any more than I normally would spend, maybe it's even less!) for about 10 days worth of food (some of the produce will have to be replenished every 3-4 days while some of the pantry staples will last a few weeks to a few months).

The following is a list of all ingredients needed to make: Halibut Burrito Casserole, Thai Chili, Stuffed Portobellos, Mushroom Risotto, Mixed Hearty Greens with Parmesan over Quinoa, Curried Slow Cooker Chickpeas, Vegetable Wraps with black beans and salsa, plus a lot of salads, snacks, breakfasts, lunches, etc. Some of these dishes feed us for two days (the Thai Chili lasted for two dinners and a lunch!).

Pantry
Brown rice
Quinoa
Arborio rice (for Risotto)
Bulgur wheat (used in chili, salads, etc.)
Whole wheat tortillas
Whole wheat bread
Whole wheat bread crumbs
Beans: black, kidney, garbanzo
Roasted red peppers (in a jar)
Red curry paste
Salsa
Coconut milk
Vegetable broth
Crushed tomatoes
Olive Oil
Balsamic
Peanut butter (I like the organic Maple Almond or Honey Peanut)
Organic Flax Plus cereal (Pumpkin Raisin Crunch)
Organic Popcorn

Fridge:      (Primarily winter produce, not my favorite, but working on it!)
Rutabaga
Onions (vidalia, spanish, red, scallions)
Garlic
Assorted hearty greens: kale, mustard, collard - used in slow cooker chickpea dish as well as sauteed over quinoa)
Sweet Potatoes (used in Thai Chili and also to make fries/chips!)
Green/Red Bell Peppers
Limes/Lemons (lemons from our tree)
Cilantro, Basil, Parsley
Cremini mushrooms (1 pound for the risotto)
Large Portobellos (for the stuffed portobellos)
Zuchini
Salad/field greens
Apples
Berries
Celery (for salads or snack w/peanut butter)
Avocados
Cheese: parmesan and mozzarella, organic string cheese
Organic plain yogurt
Organic milk
Eggs


No meat this week except for fish - Halibut.

Wine, white and red, are also required staples. White to cook with (risotto) and red to drink!

But What About Filipe?

Filipe is a 12 year old boy who lives in a small village in Chile. He has 3 older brothers and 1 younger sister. Both of his parents and his two oldest brothers work at a local blueberry farm. The money they earn is pooled together to support the entire family, including his grandparents and a widowed aunt who is unable to work due to her debilitating arthritis.

Chile is one of the top 3 exporters of blueberries and will ship over 6 million pounds of the increasingly popular, antioxidant-rich berries this year - primarily to the US and the UK. In Chile, the blueberry season runs from late October through April, although they are working on ways to grow them year round as they have proven to be a financial boon to Chile's growing economy.

Blueberries are one of the only fruits my son will eat. I need them in January. If I stopped buying them, if we all stopped buying them, just because they are not in season and are shipped from far away, what will happen to Filipe and his family?

As I stood in the super market this morning, confused and nearly paralyzed with responsibility, I realized that, even though I made up the story of Filipe (yes I did, I'm sorry), there most certainly are “Filipe’s” in the world, and what might truly be the impact of my staunch refusal to buy imported produce? Maybe not much. But what if everyone did?

Would it really be a perfect world if everyone ate local, organic and sustainable?  There are real people like Filipe and his family who would have to find other work, if they could. The developing nations that are finally finding success through the food export industry would certainly suffer some huge setbacks. Here in North America, the smaller, sustainable local farmers and ranchers that we love so well, would be hard pressed to keep up with the burgeoning demand for all things "local and natural”, wouldn't they? Would they then need to industrialize their operations to mass production levels? We could also, quite possibly, be accused of protectionism. As if we aren't already.

If everyone demands local, wholesome, and natural foods, there will need to be sweeping changes to the food industry and huge advances in sustainable farming practices.

The good news? There are. They are happening as we speak. The study of sustainable agriculture farming practices is a growing science. The impact of industrialized food production is well known. Contrary to popular belief, industrialized food is not cheaper than sustainable and organic. Not when you account for the high cost to the environment and health care.

Even Monsanto’s CEO Robert Shapiro is quoted as saying: "The commercial industrial technologies that are used in agriculture today to feed the world... are not inherently sustainable," Monsanto, in case you don't already know, is the controversial multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation known for their herbicides, pesticides, bovine growth hormone and genetically modified seeds, along with their strong arm tactics, heavy lobbying, and their litigation history. They're sued a lot. Primarily for "damaging the health" of their own employees and people living near a Monsanto site. They’ve been named by the EPA as being “the potentially responsible party” for 56 large contamination sites.

Another notable quote came from Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications. Referring to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, he explained the company's regulatory philosophy to Michael Pollan in 1998: "Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is FDA's job."

Monsanto has genetically modified their seeds, which they sell to farmers, to be impervious to Monsanto's #1 herbicide "Round Up", which they sell to the same farmers. Round up would kill a normal plant, but not Monsanto crops! The majority of crops (most notably corn) grown in the US are now Monsanto crops. It's what's for dinner.

By the way - if you haven't seen Food Inc., I highly recommend it. There is a lot more on Monsanto in that film.

Until I have more answers to my questions than questions themselves, I certainly won’t say that I’m helping to save the world with my food choices. What I will say for certain is that I am trying to be a responsible consumer while feeding myself and my family the healthiest foods I am able to procure. I’m fortunate enough to have a health foods store, a fine foods store, a Trader Joe’s, a Safeway, a meat market, and a Farmer’s Market all within a 3 mile radius and I’m going to take advantage of it.

But I might also buy blueberries from Chile now and then.

Pass The Pledge, Please?

I'm conducting an experiment!!! I'm so excited!!

"CLEAN EATING"

Can anything sound less appetizing? Why couldn’t it be called  “Wholesome Eating”, or “Earth’s Bounty Eating”,  something that conjures up pastoral images of shepherds tending their flock, or 5th generation old, bent-over, Italian men farming their family plots and selling the freshest, seasonal offerings at the local village market every week?

Instead, it makes me think of Lysol.

Clean eating isn't really anything new. We can thank the co-op generation of the 60's for the "Natural Foods" movement. The word “Clean” in the term Clean Foods, can be used interchangeably with “Whole” or "Slow", by the way. I can’t seem to find much difference between them.

In order for a food to be considered truly “clean” it should be in season, grown without pesticides, grown sustainably, and grown locally (so that it retains more of it's nutritional value by the time it hits the market and leaves a smaller carbon footprint from shipping). The key word here is "grown", as opposed to "manufactured". Eating clean is eating green - the less processed a food is, or the more closely it resembles how it would appear in nature, the less energy is wasted and the less waste is created in an "industrial food plant".

Meat is allowed in moderation as long as (you guessed it) it’s organic and natural, which means antibiotic/hormone free, vegetarian diet, grass fed/finished, and local, if possible.

Bread should have as close to the basic four or five ingredients that are actually needed to make bread as possible: "un-processed" whole wheat, salt, yeast, a touch of honey, water...or some variation of that (Sprouted wheat? Wheat berry? Brown rice?).

Here's more info on what to eat if you want to check it out:

Clean Eating Shopping Foods List


This year, I decided to walk the walk, instead of just talking the talk, and experiment with “Clean Eating”. I’ve always tried to shop the farmer’s market and buy good quality meat, but I haven’t actually attempted to eat all (or almost all?) of my meals this way. There’s always the processed frozen lunch here and there, the snack foods, the quick jarred/boxed/pre-packaged processed ingredients thrown together for a quick meal, etc.

I want to see what will happen if my only options are whole or clean foods. I’m making a few exceptions because I don’t want to starve to death:

1) Some snacks - pretzels, popcorn, chocolate, and certain crackers, tortillas, pastas, and breads are allowed. I can pick up some delicious, locally made natural bread and tortillas at my Farmer's Market.

2) And cheese - cheese has to go through a process to become cheese, and it does have some of those "bad" fats. But I'm a firm believer in full fat dairy - they contain less fillers, sugars, and chemicals than their non fat "food like substance" replacements. It was the brilliant war on fat campaign of the 70's that is to blame for these non fat hybrids, but 40 years later, we're fatter than ever...so....it didn't work. Eat the good stuff, just eat a lot less of it! I can't find cheese anywhere on any list of acceptable "clean foods". But a life without cheese is not a life worth living, if you ask me. Cheese is in.

3) And salsa. Tomatoes aren't in season and I need salsa for a lot of recipes that I like. There is some fresh packaged salsa at my Farmer's Market that I can try....and I'll make it fresh when my herb garden and tomatoes are harvested (that I haven't planted yet).

My first week is going smashingly well! True…true…it’s only Monday, and I want to use what’s already in my pantry and fridge (which isn't all 100% totally “clean”) before I hit the market and experiment with some fresh new recipes, (and grow my own herb garden which I'd like to do - stop that! The kind of herbs you cook with!) but so far, so good!

We had leftover Tritip from our NYE dinner, so of course I can’t waste that.

I would like to apologize in advance for the poor photo quality - I am not a photographer and some of the photos may be blurry, or I need glasses, I can't be sure....

Leftovers day one:

Tritip salad with Blue Cheese and Avocado

At least the meat was "clean".....

Leftovers day two:

Tritip Sandwich with Garlic Aioli Sauce

I realize there is more carmelized onion, lettuce and tomato than actual beef, I'm not a huge meat eater.

The meat AND the garlic in the aioli are organic...baby steps.

And now I'm done with meat for awhile!

Today, I had the luxury of an early day, so I was home for lunch and was able to whip up this masterpiece:

Quinoa with sauteed "Hearty Greens"

This is pretty much totally "clean" except, apparently, I'm supposed to use "sea salt" in my recipes?

I happened to have some organic Quinoa in my pantry and some leftover greens (Collard, Kale, Mustard) in my fridge. I sautéed the greens with a little bit of olive oil and garlic, added a dash of salt and pepper, then topped it with some shaved Parmesan cheese to add some "interest" (aka "cheese flavor"). It was excellent.

This week, I'll be trying out a Thai Chili recipe, a Black Bean and Halibut Burrito, and a slow cooked Curried Chickpea dish. Hmmmmm......

Wish me luck!

P.S. - I should mention that I am doing this, not so much to lose weight (although I'm still interested in losing that final 10 pounds), but as part of my "Year of Awareness" (of the earth, it's creatures, my health and well being, as well as that of my family, et al). And I'm trying to make a small change in the world. A little...teeny....tiny....change....but it's what I can do. I think.

"Jeans/Food/Weight" OR "The Slaughterhouse And The Salad"

I enjoy titling my posts honestly. I mean, why use a title like: "You Have GOT To Read This, You Will Be Amazed!!" when the actual topic may be nothing but a giant snooze fest for some people? Similarly, using a mysteriously cryptic or witty heading like: "The Slaughterhouse And The Salad", (I actually kind of like that one), or "The Day I Slipped On A Soliloquy" (I don't even know what that could possibly mean) can sometimes make me feel slightly fraudulent...or silly. There's a fine balance between being totally honest and being "not-boring".

Anyway.

We watched the movie "Temple Grandin" last night and it was pretty amazing. For those of you who don't know who she is, Temple Grandin is "an American doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University, bestselling author, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior. As a person with high-functioning autism, Grandin is also widely noted for her work in autism advocacy." (Wikipedia).

She designed a "kinder" dip system and the curved corrals that lead livestock to more humane slaughter. Her systems are now used in 75% of meat plants in the US and have eliminated or greatly reduced the fear and pain that the animals suffer on their way to slaughter. She has even won a "Proggy" award from PETA for her dedication to the humane treatment of food animals.

Her impetus for creating a more humane system for slaughter comes from her own personal views: "I think using animals for food is an ethical thing to do, but we've got to do it right. We've got to give those animals a decent life and we've got to give them a painless death. We owe the animal respect.", along with her ability to see life through the eyes of the animal. Also (and here is where I realized that some of my own ideas and beliefs - see my post "In Memory of #431" - are less crackpot that I thought), based on her extensive research and study on the connection between stress, fear, high levels of cortisol, and meat quality. Basically, the emotional health of livestock at their time of death does, in fact, determine the meat quality. You can read more about it here:

http://grandin.com/meat/meat.html

This doesn't mean I'm going to eat meat with abandon, however. I am committed to a more "flexitarian" and "clean/whole" approach to food for my own reasons including, but not limited to, my health, and the health of the planet. My mantra, to quote my other hero, Michael Pollan, is:

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Our NYE dinner (pictured here):

was made up of a homemade vegetarian mushroom risotto (local mushrooms, organic vegetable broth, parsley and onion) and a grass fed hormone/antibiotic free tri-tip! The garden salad was mostly store-bought organic greens (the farmer's market was closed last weekend) and regular ol' tomato/avocado, but with an "all natural" raspberry vinagrette dressing. The dinner was accompanied by a wonderful home made herb and cheese bread brought by one of our guests!

2011 is going to be a "Year of Awareness", in more ways than one. Meaning, I am committed to my continued quest for "personal awareness" using such tools as yoga and meditation. I am committed to a more studied awareness of my passion: Food! And I am committed to a deeper awareness (and subsequent assistance, I hope) of others - most notably, the less fortunate. Both people and animals.

Switching gears here, because this blog is also about "waist management" - I managed to survive the holidays with no weight gain. Hoo-ra! I did this by going into the holidays (beginning Thanksgiving) with the mindset that I would maintain my weight by balancing my normal "healthy" habits with a few splurges and not freak out about them. I knew that if I did freak out about them, I would just "thrown in the towel" and go hog wild until January 1, at which point I would have a good 5 pounds to lose (again). Who wants to do that? I decided to enjoy the season and not worry about it. It worked out beautifully.

I also bought two pairs of super-cute "gently used" jeans that fit me now. By buying jeans that fit me now, instead of a bit too snug because "I'm just gonna lose weight anyway", my hope is that they will actually be comfortable enough to wear on a regular basis, and I can  re-designate my stretchy exercise pants to be worn for....exercise only, (how's that for a radical idea?). Except for days like today where I'm only going to be lounging in front of the fire reading anyway....so......

Happy New Year!!