Gluten-free protein pancakes

I wanted to post this quick and easy recipe as a follow up to the last post 23 ingredients, 10 simple and budget friendly real food dishes.  Well, make it 11 with this super simple pancake dish that also works really well as a take-along toddler snack.

1 cup of thick cut oats, ground in a coffee grinder or food processor
1 cup yogurt (greek, regular, goat milk or sheep's milk yogurt will all work)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 dash cinnamon
1 tsp maple syrup
Mix the ingredients well and cook as you would a regular pancake.

This recipe is adapted from the Biggest Loser pancakes but their recipe just uses egg whites and cottage cheese.  I like the yogurt because I almost always have it in my fridge and the entire egg because the yolk has so many nutrients that I don't want to miss out on (choline which is important for women of childbearing age, healthy fats, B vitamins etc.).  If you have cholesterol issues or diabetes, you may want to eliminate the yolk depending on how many eggs you eat a week.  This recipe contains about 5 grams of protein per pancake.  They're also great topped with nut butter.

And PS, here's an interesting article about what wheat and dairy may be doing to our brains.

25 essential foods for your grocery list

Budget friendly, healthy and simple meals and snacks are easier to come up with if you have certain staple ingredients on hand.  Below are very simple ingredients that can be combined to make multiple time-efficient and budget-friendly meals from whole foods. Nothing's processed or artificial, just simple, good ingredients put together to make tasty food.  Most of these ingredients will last in your fridge or pantry for a while and can be combined in many more ways than listed below.  Enjoy!

The Grocery List--
I give a rough amount that you'll use for a family of 4.  This list should cost less than $100 not including the miscellaneous items you probably already have.

Produce:
Avocado (4-8)
Kale (2 bunches) or your favorite lettuce
Lemon (5)
Lime (2)
Grapefruit (1 bag)
Apples (5)
Red Onion (1)
White Onion (1)
Garlic (1 bunch)
Carrots (2-3 bunches)
Celery (1 bunch)
Ginger (1 piece)
Thyme (1 bunch)
Cilantro (1 bunch)
Favorite seasonal vegetables and fruits

Proteins:
Eggs (1-2 dozen)
Rotiserie chicken (1)
Wild caught nitrate-free smoked salmon

Bulk:
Thick cut oats (1lb)
Lentils (1-2 lb): Lentils are one of my favorite staples for their taste, high protein and iron content and affordability.

Dairy:
Parmesan cheese (1/4 to 1/2 lb)
Whole milk greek yogurt (1 or two 16 oz containers)

Nuts:
Pistachios (1 bag shelled)
walnuts (1/4-1/2 lb)
Almond butter

Bakery:
Sourdough bread (1loaf)

Misc Pantry Items:
Bay leaf
Cumin
Coriander
Cinnamon
Curry Powder
Olive Oil
honey or real maple syrup
grass-fed butter
tamari (or soy sauce)
dijon mustard
mayo
Red wine or balsamic vinegar

The Meals: Click the links for the recipes.

1. Lentil Soup with parmesan sourdough toast.  
2. Kale and parmesan Salad with Lentil and Walnut Spread on Sourdough
3. Avocado chicken salad served on celery
4. Grapefruit and avocado salad.  I top with pistachios to make it more of a meal.
5. Eggs (cooked how you like) with Avocado, salt and pepper and served with grapefruit on the side.  It's that simple.
6. Kale, Lemon, Ginger and Apple Green Juice with celery
7. Apples (or favorite seasonal fruit), nuts and parmesan drizzled with honey or maple syrup
8. Lentil burgers
9. Chicken soup: I make stock/chicken soup with almost every rotisserie chicken we buy.  It's easy and economical.  It's also great for cold and flu season as chicken soup really does help fight those bugs.  
10. Oatmeal topped with yogurt, pistachios, walnuts, maple syrup drizzle, cinnamon and chopped apple.
11. Lentils with avocado, lemon, olive oil, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper
12. Lettuce salad with all your favorite toppings (chicken, egg or pistachios as the main protein)
13. Almond butter with apple and sourdough tartine
14. Smoked salmon carpaccio with a side salad

The week in inspirations

This week I'm featuring inspirations from inspirational women.  This is a little prelude to an upcoming theme I'll be focusing on.  In the coming months I'll be interviewing women I know and love who are making it all work (family life, careers, passions, social lives etc.)  I can't wait to share these amazing women with you. 

I've been following Susan from Freshly Picked baby moccasins on Instagram for a while and was so excited to see her on Shark Tank this week.  Her story of how she started making moccasins out of a need to find a shoe/sock that would stay on her baby's feet is very inspiring.  She had no training or sewing skills.  Just a need, a passion and a scrap of leather from a yard sale.  Now she's selling over $600k in moccasins and just made a deal with one of the Sharks, Daymond John.  I love a good story like this!  And I can think of a few people who just might need these moccs very soon….

Floriole is hands down my favorite bakery/cafe in Chicago.  The food is amazing (the croissants and BAD sandwich are my favorites), the atmosphere is charming and the owner is another passionate and talented woman on a mission who happens to be so nice and generous (she lent me her beautiful upstairs space free of charge to hold a fundraising event for Nurture a few years ago).  She got her start with a stand at The Green City Farmer's Market in Lincoln Park and eventually worked her way up to a the ultra-successful cafe on Webster.  While I love her doughy inventions, sometimes you just can't justify it, which is why I was so excited to see that they're offering baked eggs in spiced tomato sauce with yogurt and greens.  If you can't make it to Floriole, here's a recipe to try on your own.

Mabo Kids is run by a mother of two and made in the USA (love that) using quality fabrics with simple, classic and sweet designs.  I love the 3 timeless pieces above.  Baby clothes with all these qualities are not easy to find!

And for all of us inspirational women out there who need a little help making it all work (who doesn't) and putting together a hot and delicious dinner in the meantime, here's a slow cooker recipe that my lovely (and equally inspiring) sister-in-law recommended.  This one will make you look like you know what you're doing in the kitchen even if you don't.

I  hope you're having a great weekend.

5 ways to avoid the unintended sugar overdose from healthy juices

There's a lot of health kicking going on this month, and props to us!  In an attempt to improve our diet and overall health, we have to make good choices, and to make good choices, we have to be well-informed.  An article in The Huffington Post yesterday, The Unbelievable Amount of Sugar in 'Healthy' Juice , caught my eye and I wanted to give my two cents.  The article talks about those store bought and specialty detox juices and how many have as much sugar as 5 or more chocolate chip cookies (30-38 grams)!

38 grams is a lot of sugar, equal to more than 9 teaspoons of the white stuff to be exact, and with little to no protein, fat or fiber in your glass, (a juicer takes out all the pulp, aka fiber), your body absorbs that sugar quickly spiking your blood sugar levels, insulin levels and thus potentially fat and inflammation levels.  Yes, there are also lots of vitamins and minerals in the bottle (especially if it's not pasteurized?), but is that sugar load a good idea…probably not!  Keep in mind, our bodies metabolize sugar (aka glucose), whether from cookies or carrots the same way.  Here are some suggestions to make this health kick thing actually work in our favor:

1.  Make your own 'juice' using a blender.  The Vitamix, more affordable but smaller Nutribullet or just a high-quality blender will work and will keep the fiber in your drink allowing your body to slowly absorb all the sugars and nutrients at a pace it can handle.

2.  If you're making your own, choose 1 medium serving of a sweet fruit like blueberries, apple or banana, not multiple. Use greens, lemon/lime, cucumber, avocado, ginger etc. to balance it out.

3.  Check the labels if you're buying your juice.  I would say aim for 10 servings of sugar or ideally less per serving.  One of those 12 or 16 oz bottles of juice should probably be enjoyed as two servings, not chugged as one.

4.  Eat something else with your juice (or add it to your juice) that contains some fat, fiber and protein.  Your body needs the fat to absorb those nutrients anyway and these additions will help slow the absorption of the sugars.

5.  Consider why you're juicing.  Is it to lose weight or detox?  Keep in mind that if you go too long without enough calories, protein and fat, you'll start to lose lean muscle and when you do inevitably start to eat normal again, you'll put all that weight back on and quickly.  If you're trying to detox, giving your digestive system a rest isn't necessarily a bad idea, I just wouldn't recommend doing that for more than a day or even 18 hours at a time in most cases.

I hope this helps.  Any thoughts?  I love getting your feedback!
image via urbanspoon

Is sourdough bread acceptable on a gluten-free diet?

Many of us are trying to avoid gluten for a variety of reasons.  Some have negative physical or mental reactions to it while others avoid it to help them lose weight or just feel better.  Whatever the reason, avoiding gluten is usually worth it, but never easy.  How can you not miss that bread!  That's why I wanted to share this article from Whole Living Magazine discussing how and why sourdough bread may be tolerable for people with Celiac disease and gluten sensitivities.  I won't try to explain it as well as Todd Oppenheimer does in this article (because I'll fail) but basically the fermentation process, unique to the sourdough bread-making process, is thought to break down the gluten into easily digestible products that won't irritate the sensitive.  There's a few studies (although small) suggesting that Celiacs may even tolerate it.

The article also presents interesting insight into what's happening to our wheat these days: it's basically pumped up on steroids changing the nature of the grain and possibly causing the increase in sensitivities and allergies.  Maybe it's not just the gluten, maybe there's more to the story.  I find this topic very interesting and look forward to more research and answers, hopefully in the near future.  For now, whether or not sourdough is the answer for you, it's intriguing food for thought.

photo from bungalowc

The week in inspirations

A few things I came across this week that inspired me:

I can't decide where this Flitch Studios Wing Chair would go in my house, but I can definitely see myself curled up in it with a tea gazing out the window.

If you like Kelly Wearstler, or just design in general, you'll love this InStyle spread featuring her home.

These Printstagram photo cards would make really fun Green & Plenty contact cards.

I told my husband shoes would be a great gift for his Valentine.  These will do!

I'm looking for a big impact plant or arrangement like the above for my kitchen island.  Any suggestions?

Have a great weekend!

A make-ahead kale salad that's simple & healthy

I love a good salad and am always trying new combinations.  Lately though I'm liking the less-is-more approach and this simple recipe adapted from the True Food Cookbook by Dr. Andrew Weil is perfect. There's 4 ingredients (not including olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes), it's super simple, includes the extremely popular and nutrient-dense kale, and it can be made a day ahead making it perfect to take to work or to grab and eat when time is limited.  It's actually even better the next day which can't be said for most salads.

This recipe serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 bunches of Tuscan kale
1/4 - 1/3 cup lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons depending how tart you like it)
3-4 cloves of garlic mashed
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 tsp salt (plus a dash before serving)
pinch of red pepper flakes
pepper

Whisk the lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Pour over the washed and ribboned kale and massage the dressing into the kale.  Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.  Add the cheese, toss again and enjoy in the next 2 days.

To ribbon the kale, stack about 5 leaves, roll and slice.

Does food affect behavior?

Sam was a few months shy of two-and-a-half.  Let me stress, two-and-a-half, which in little boy terms can easily mean energetic, unruly, wild and unpredictable.  But I felt there was something else going on.  There were times when he was almost uncontrollable.  I'm all about raising a free spirited/strong-willed/high energy child, but he seemed to be the only child his age whose behavior was quite this intense.  I found myself wondering if this was ADHD presenting itself…already?  My family has a history of ADHD which made me even more concerned and curious.

As a nutritionist I believe there is a link between food and most other aspects of our lives, including behavior and that natural and whole foods are the best for our kids.  But that IS what Sam was eating for the very most part, aside from parties or the occasional treat.  It was around this time that a study came out supporting the link between food dyes and increased hyperactivity in children.  But like I said, he wasn't eating much of that kind of food at all.

The Offenders:
Here's a little background on the food and behavior issue: An overwhelming amount of foods on the market, especially those that are marketed to children, contain artificial ingredients including food dyes.  These dyes include Blue No. 1, 2, Yellow No. 5, Red No 3 etc.  and can be found in everything from soup to ice-cream to pasta sauces.  These ingredients require labeling in other countries or have been eliminated by companies like Mars (European M&Ms don't contain them but US M&M's do).  In the US you have to check the ingredient list closely.  And these may not be the only ingredients that are contributing to behavior issues in our children.  Artificial flavors like vanillin and some preservatives like BHA, BHT and TBHQ (I remember these for the BH like the B& H in BeHavior) are also thought to be offenders.  So what is it about these 3 additives: colors, flavors and preservatives?  They're made with petroleum, have toxic byproducts and/or can be known carcinogens with negative neurotixic effects.  Some people may not be affected by them, but many are.  A British study saw an increase in hyperactivity in 3 year olds following consumption of these ingredients.  And depending on one's chemistry and genetics, the effects may be more pronounced.  Many parents have seen drastic improvements in their child's behavior by eliminating them.  And in turn, these children are learning better, behaving better and report feeling better too.

And could there be anything else?
So was it just the rare dum-dum or occasional Sweet Mandy B's blue frosted cupcake that was causing this?  My research turned up something else that was interesting.  During this particular time we were eating a lot of oatmeal topped with raisins.  According to the Feingold Association, a known expert in the role of food and synthetic additives in behavior, learning and health problems, dried fruit can be a major contributor to the behavior issues in some children due to its high levels of salicylates.  Some children don't metabolize this natural chemical well causing it to build up and cause behavioral issues. Salicylates are naturally occurring in many foods from fruits and vegetables to nuts and vinegar.   Where and how a food is grown can vary the amount of salicylates in any given food so an exact list of foods to avoid is hard to pin down.  If you feel your child might benefit from trying this diet, an elimination approach is your best starting point and as a dietitian, I would recommend having your doctor or a nutrition professional help you with this as it can be very restrictive.  Here is a Salicylates food chart, a good starting point.  For Sam, I eliminated dried fruit and the three other artificial offenders and saw an almost immediate improvement.  These days I can't always control what Sam eats, nor should I.  He does still react to synthetic additives but dried fruit is okay unless he's been eating more than a small serving every now and then.  And if I feel he's acting up more than usual and all other variables are controlled, I will look at his dietary patterns.  Maybe that's a nerdy dietitian thing, but it helps.  Sam is still a spirited child…he's his wonderful, natural self!

PS, Kraft recently announced that it will stop adding food dyes to some of their macaroni and cheese products marketed to children.   As always, it's still a good idea to check the labels.

photos by Erin Konrath

5 natural remedies for a clearer complexion

I've never had great skin.  Well, not since I was maybe 10.  And recently it was especially dull, dry, broken-out and red.  Before I called the dermatologist, I decided to go the all natural route and was pleasantly surprised with the results.  Let me start by saying this is anecdotal, but it's working pretty well for me and there's some decent rational behind why.

Step 1
The probiotic

Recent studies have discovered that clear skin contains a type of "good" bacteria that's lacking in acne-prone skin.  We all have good and bad bacteria in and on our bodies.  Depending on your genetics, diet, lifestyle etc, you might have more or less of some.  A probiotic is a natural way to get your bacteria back in balance and can even help the "good" face bacteria out might the "bad".  Ask your pharmacist for a probiotic that's right for you.  I take 1 tablet every other day.

Step 2
The omega 3 supplement

Omega-3 supplements (fish oils) are known to be anti-inflammatory and antioxidants that can actually help prevent and repair collagen damage.  I use the liquid form which doesn't taste great, but is more effective and cheaper than the capsules.  Nordic Naturals is a well respected brand available online or at Whole Foods.  I take 1 tsp every other day.

Step 3
Chlorophyll

I got this idea from a magazine featuring Reese Witherspoon's skin secrets.  Apparently when her skin is less than clear, she takes a tablespoon of liquid Chlorophyll for a few days and her skin clears up.  I've been trying this for a while now and it seems to work.  Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants that gives them their green color.  It helps plants trap light and make energy.  It's also known to increase red blood cells and thus improve oxygen transport.  It's also thought to help detox the body and can thus clear the skin.  While this last part isn't exactly scientifically proven, I'm liking the results I'm getting.  I use World Organic Liquid Chlorophyll.  Aim to take 1 Tbsp daily or as often as you remember.

Step 4
The fragrance-free lotion

When I was in my early teens, I had pretty bad skin.  I was using so many random things in an effort to get rid of the acne.  When I saw a dermatologist, her advice was to get back to the basics.  So I started using Purpose and Cetaphil and got good results.  As time went on, my experimental nature took over and I started trying to get rid of this century's issue: wrinkles.  My skin starting getting red and blotchy.  After a little research I realized that fragrance (which definitely irritates my nose) was also irritating my skin making it red and blotchy.  If you have sensitive skin, fragrance-free just might be the way to go.  I've had great success with La Roche-Posay Toleraine Ultra.

Step 5
Grapefruit

The antioxidants, including vitamin C, and high water content of grapefruit make it a great protective hydrator of our skin that also promotes collagen production thus reducing the appearance of wrinkles.  These 3 attributes make it an easy and delicious anti-aging addition to your diet.  Grapefruit also has anti-bacterial properties that help fight off those nasty acne causing bacteria.  Try combining the leftover juice from your morning grapefruit with a splash of green tea applied as a toner (just make sure to use sunscreen after and skip if you have sensitive skin).  Grapefruit also contains a diuretic helping to rid our bodies of excess water and toxins…the perfect remedy for those bags that appear under our eyes the morning after imbibing.

4 fresh spring fashion inspirations

As most of us sit here snowed in and bundled up, it's hard not to dream about the warm and sunny months ahead.  Here are 4 spring fashion inspirations for a fresh but not overly trendy new look.  Oh how I can't wait to shed some layers!

The SLIT:
The skirt is back.  It's not super short, but still sexy.  Go ahead and show a little leg!

                  

DIY: A multi-purpose lego table with pull-out drawers

It's beyond freezing outside!  So what to do for the next few days when school is cancelled and nothing's open?  Play with all the toys we got overt the holidays of course.  Except that many of the new toys have lost their luster already, but not the legos. That's why they're one of my favorite toys!  The possibilities are endless, Sam plays independently with them, and when that fails, I actually enjoy playing too.  Oliver is even getting into them (all Duplo for now).  Before Christmas I searched and searched for a table like this with no luck.  They all had shelves below so you couldn't sit or didn't have pull-out drawers.  Sooo, my mom and step-father, DIYers, built this great little multipurpose lego table for around $50.  Here's a rough DYI instructional. Note: this may not be for someone who doesn't know her way around some woodworking tools.

Supplies:

• Maple for the table: Roughly 8' of 1"x3" for the legs & roughly 13' of 1"x4" for the sides and support base
• Wood for the drawer slides: see pictures as it's a little complicated but if you're familiar with this sort of thing, the pics will explain
• Ikea plastic drawers: 4
• Lego building base plate: Two 12"x32" or whatever your desired size but a different size will change the dimensions of your table.  They got these at Galt Baby
• Kreg jig: The DIYers claim this makes putting the table together much easier

Table Dimensions:

Table sides: 32"x25.5"
Legs: 22"
Table top: 24"x36"  They used the eco friendly MDF topped with a layer of white board topped with lego building base plates.  This way I can remove the lego base plates and use the white board top for coloring, eating, trains etc.

I hope you're inspired (or you can inspire someone who can do this sort of thing).  Thanks Dede and Papa T!

The tracks for the drawers were the hardest part according to my mom.  It took a little thought and they upcycled a few pieces of wood from an old piece of furniture.

6 small steps to becoming a happier mom

Maybe you've heard the quote "a mother is only as happy as her least happy child", but I really believe a mother's and father's happiness affects the whole family too.  So I'm starting the year off with my own little happiness project.  To be clear, I have nothing really to be unhappy about.  We've been very blessed in our life.  It's just the little day-to-day things that I sometimes find mundane, enjoy less than I should or wish were a little different/better.  So recently I decided to focus on the things that DO help me appreciate what I have a little more.   Here is what I've discovered so far:

why you should be adding fat to your green juice...

Many of us will be toting green juices in 2014 as part of our get healthy resolutions.  Make sure yours isn't missing a vital ingredient: FAT!  A little fat is necessary to help your body absorb many of the fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients in the fruits and veggies you're loading up on, especially if you're not drinking or eating anything else containing fat at the time.  My favorite fat source for juices is to blend in a little avocado.  Seeds (flax, hemp etc.) and nuts also work really well.  Here's my favorite green juice recipe:

1 large handful of kale, stems removed: nutritional powerhouse

1-2 lemons, peel, pith and seeds removed: helps with our body's acid/alkaline balance 

1/4 -1/8 avocado: healthy fat

2 small granny smith apples: loads of antioxidants (especially in the peel) and fiber

1 inch peeled ginger: a great anti-inflammatory and anti-vital

A small handful of parsley: a diuretic that helps flush the body of excess water and toxins

Additional options:

Cucumber

Celery
OJ: the boys like it a little sweeter so I add an ounce to their glasses

                                    Cheers to a healthy and happy 2014!