Your blender does matter!

Since starting this whole smoothie and better health mission, I have used 3 blenders.

All within a year.

Before the blender became our ultimate tool in the kitchen, the Cuisinart, (you know, the standard one most get at a wedding shower), was not being used ...er, to its maximum potential.  When it was, it only took a few months but the smoothies got chunky.  As you can imagine, a chunky smoothie is completely unappetizing.  Soooo, I stole my Mom's Montel Williams blender.  What a difference! This blender is fantastic.  A bit tall but it blends wonderfully.

BUT...eventually my mom wanted her blender back.  So she bought Melissa and I Ninja blenders.  This is by far the worst blender I have ever encountered for so many reasons:

1.  Chunky smoothies, like, on the first day of ever using it.

2. We had to let the blender go for over five minutes before it got somewhat smooth.


3.  The blades were designed to come in and out of the blender for better cleaning (and supposedly better blending) but it was absolutely dangerous.  Stuffing the fruits and veggies in was a nightmare.

4.  The blender become absolutely disgusting.  Smoothie would leak into the handle and remain in there.  There was no way to take it apart, so food would stay in the handles of the blender.  So gross.

5.  Finally, after only a few short months with this $150 blender, we learned to blend then take the time to transfer it into the magic bullet, which took 20 minutes.

The Ninja blender...The smoothies practically looked like  that after blending for 20 minutes!

All I know is this hassle made me give up this summer, and I have not been juicing hardly at all until this past week, when I stole my mom's blender back again.  I have been feeling so awful not having my smoothies.  My body had become sore, depression returned, my skin lost its glow, and my motivation to be healthy: gone.

Fortunately I 've been feeling better again, but I need to get back on track like I did before.  Melissa had issues with her Ninja blender too so she invested in the Vitamix.  I was fortunate enough to enjoy a smoothie when we visited and it was fantastic.  This thing can liquify a block of wood.  Many juicers and vegans recommend this blender.

On the left is the Montel Williams blender and on the right is the Vitamix (available on our Amazon online store.)

Anyway, I can't wait because I just got mine in the mail!  Getting a blender that will last and (most importantly) BLEND is so key.  If anyone is looking into juicing or doing smoothies, do your research and hopefully realize the benefits of investing into one of the better/best blenders.  The Vitamix is outstanding, also the Montel Williams or Blendtech blenders. But the Vitamix has a standard five year warranty, and this company stands by its product.  Now here's my salesman coming out of me....If you are interested in the Vitamix, please look on our Amazon store located on our blog and a small percentage will be given to us.  As well as any other products of interest.  Thanks!  ( You will notice the Ninja is NOT on there!)  :)

Burgers and Fries

This recipe is very forgiving, as you will see. 

For all the health nuts out there, this is a nut burger with sweet potato fries. This dish is mostly vegan (minus the goat cheese I added, and the baking of the fries).

Below's the recipe (courtesy of the New York Times. Who knew?), but in bold I'll let you know what I did.  

NUT BURGERS

1 medium onion
1 cup walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews or other nuts, preferably raw (I used raw pecans since I had them on hand.)
1 cup (raw) rolled oats or cooked short-grain white or brown rice (I used barley flakes.)
2 tablespoons ketchup, miso, tomato paste, nut butter or tahini
1 teaspoon chili powder or any spice mix you like (Italian seasoning)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg (Ground flax instead)
2 tablespoons peanut oil, extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn.

1. Grind onion in food processor. Add nuts and oats, and pulse to chop, but not too finely. Add remaining ingredients except oil. Process briefly; don't grind too finely. Add a little liquid — water, stock, soy sauce, wine, whatever — if necessary; mixture should be moist but not loose.
2. Let mixture rest a few minutes, then shape it into 4 burgers. (Burger mixture or shaped burgers can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to a day. Bring back to room temperature before cooking.) Put oil in nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet and turn to medium. When oil is hot, add burgers to skillet. Cook about 5 minutes, undisturbed, until browned, then turn with spatula. Lower heat a bit and cook 3 or 4 minutes more, until firm. (No cooking since I didn't use egg.)
3. Serve on buns with mustard, ketchup, chutney or other toppings.
Yield: 4 servings.

I built the burger like so: Ezekiel bread slice, avocado, nut burger patty, fresh sliced tomato, sliced red onion, goat cheese, alfalfa sprouts, vegenaise and dijon mustard on top slice of bread. 

MMmm-MMmm! 

And for any of you wondering, yes, that is veganaise on the side to dip my fries into. In my less healthier days, I used to dip french fries in mayo . . .and ice cream.  

I buy the soy-free vegenaise and I seriously can't tell the difference. All natural ingredients and herbs make it taste just like mayo. 

And before anyone thinks I'm finishing this post without offering the sweet potato fries recipe (like I did yesterday), fear not. 

Sweet Potato Fries

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled (2 medium potatoes)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
• Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick matchsticks, and toss with the oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake until the "fries" are tender and crisp, about 30 minutes.

Season with additional salt, to taste. Serve immediately.

Recipe Credit: Food Network, Kellie Krieger

Some of you might be wondering what's with all the cooking of the potatoes and such. Well, I'm back in transition mode after a less than healthy August, (I gained over 10 lbs in less than two weeks due to higher caloric and sodium intake . . .and margaritas. Nuff said.), and I'm gearing up for another fast in two weeks. So, if you're like me, sometimes you gotta start somewhere, knowing that you're headed to healthier pastures. Plus, on the good/better/best scale, the sweet potato fries fall somewhere in the good to better side in that they are baked. Also, I used himalayan salt (tons of trace minerals) to season, and cooked it for a little less time than this recipe called for, so they were a little crunchy on the inside.

Salud!

Steak N' Fries

You heard right. 

Steak and fries for dinner tonight.

And it's all vegan.  

(Recipe courtesy of the Jazzy Vegetarian.)

For my hubby, son and me, I bought two large organic portobello mushrooms. They were so filling, we couldn't even finish them. One mushroom per person is a more than adequate serving size, especially with side dishes. 

Clean the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel. Do not submerge in water. Remove stems.

Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and olive oil for the mushrooms to be set on.

Prepare cap coating by combining 3 TBS Veganaise to 1 TBS of Dijon mustard in bowl. Mix thoroughly. See below.

Spread coating mixture generously on top of caps.

Next, you have some freedom on the crust you'd like to adhere to cap. I made mine out of 1 cup walnuts and 1 cup pecans. But the Jazzy Vegetarian suggests corn flakes. You could also use panko bread crumbs.  

Anyway, whatever you decide, grind it up in food processor or blender and add 2 tsp of Italian herbs/seasoning and 1 tsp sea salt to mixture.

It should end up looking something like this.  Because I used nuts, the mixture was already a little oily. But if you use a bread/grain based crust, you may want to add a TBS of olive oil and mix till nicely coated.  

Then coat the mushroom caps. It should easily adhere to veganaise mixture (See below).

Actually, and I learned the hard way, if you flip the mushroom over and spread about a tsp of olive oil and a tsp of tamari sauce (or liquid aminos or soy sauce) on it BEFORE coating with the veganaise mixture, you may save yourself from a mess and more handwashing. But whatever.  But please do add the olive oil and tamari at some point. It will infuse with the mushroom while baking and really add a ton of flavor. 

Tent the mushrooms with aluminum foil over the top.

Put in preheated oven @ 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Then uncover and let it bake for 10 more minutes. 

Remove from oven, let sit for five minutes then slice and serve.  

These were so flavorful and delicious. We served with a few other sides of sweet potato fries and greens. Bit for an alternative to the all American meal, consider this savory number.

Crispy Portobello Steaks

Makes 4 servings

In this recipe, a savory, crunchy coating perfectly complements the meaty texture and mouthwatering taste of portobello mushrooms. The method was inspired by my grandma’s trick of using mayonnaise to keep chicken moist when baking. Please see note below for a low-fat version of this tasty recipe!
4 portobello mushrooms, stemmed
3 cups cornflakes
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄8 to 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄3 cup vegan mayonnaise (see NOTE below)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium tamari

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Rinse the portobello mushrooms briefly and pat dry with a clean dish towel, taking care not to break them.
Put the cornflakes, italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and process to form crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Stir until the crumbs are evenly coated.
Put the vegan mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly blended.
Lay a mushroom upside down on a large plate. Sprinkle 1⁄2 teaspoon of the tamari over the gills, then drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the oil. (For a lower-fat version, omit the olive oil from this step).
Turn the mushroom over and spread one-quarter of the mayonnaise mixture evenly over the top. Spread one-quarter of the cornflake mixture evenly over the top, patting it down firmly and not leaving any holes or gaps. Put the mushroom in the lined pan, right-side up. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Tent the baking pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees F, remove the foil, and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are fork-tender and the coating is crispy.
Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up. Cut the mushrooms into thick diagonal slices and serve immediately.

God, change this into a carrot . . .

A while back, Melissa introduced me to this comedian, Tim Hawkins.  Although I do not find all of his jokes funny, this bit on praying about food had me laughing so hard.  ....It is so true.  How many times have we sat at the dinner table or the Holidays with dishes loaded with butter, gravy, salt, boxed, or ordered, and we ask God it to nourish us in some sort of way!  Of course it is always good to be thankful for daily bread, but maybe we should pray for God to protect us from it instead,  :)  Enjoy this bit from him.

Dr. Greger Video

Dr. Gregor delivers a charismatic and informative talk on how we can reduce and stave off the 15 leading causes of death. Nutritional science, health statistics and research is right up Get Dense's alley.  Dr. Greger whips up a recipe that feeds anyone's proclivity for keeping the doctor away. If you're new to Get Dense and/or not up on some our health philosophies, we think this video's well worth your time.  As for me, it's always a good refresher and reminder why we think and do and eat the way we try to think, do and eat.  Enjoy.

My conclusions?  I think the data is gaining such momentum within America that it's no longer about the citizen believing or not believing it, but needing a psychological swift kick in the pants.  Like an addict, those who have been eating animal products need to learn how to embrace a new way of eating plant based food, and over time, realize it's for their good in spite of hard days.

Or not. And just (likely) die earlier.

Either way, it's not an eternal question--if I die tomorrow or in 80 years, my salvation's secure in Christ. But enjoying our time with those we love in the best health possible might not be as lofty a pursuit as previously thought. Meaning, it's possible! And I think Dr. Greger is of a similar mind. It's just getting other minds on board.

And bucking some cultural norms.

And psychological comforts attached to food.

But, the main goal isn't some fascist brainwashing, but an honest look at what we're eating and where to improve, right?

Anyway, education is probably the best method for creating awareness and change. Because let's face it, our weak minds and bodies are constantly trying to destroy us. Meanwhile Jesus is constantly enlivening us, giving us hope and a reason to love life with food that never dies: Him, the Bread of Life, in Word and Sacrament.  Thanks be to God in spite ourselves.  

Dense Desserts

I scream. You scream . . .

You get the idea.

And what better way to get giddy about the most popular dessert known to man, than to dress it up in a cone. Or, if you don't have a cone, put it in a cup to make it look swirly nice.

For this demo, I made the Raspberry Banana Ice Dream recipe. 

If you have cake piping bags, then you're ahead of the game.  But if not, all you need is a plastic sandwich or freezer bag.

Scoop all that goodness out of your food processor or blender and into the bag. 

Nip the tip with scissors.

Then squeeze the creamy treat into your cone or cup, making a swirling motion as you go.

Top with nuts or coconut or cacao nibs for that over the top goodness.

Chocolate Truffles

I've been meaning to post this recipe for some time. 

Talk about easy, versatile and out of this world gooey and good.

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup dates

2 TBS Honey

3TBS Cacao (or Cocoa) Powder

Directions:

Place almonds in food processor and blend for 30 seconds.  Add walnuts and blend for 30 more seconds till mixture is fine granules. Add dates, honey and cocoa powder and blend till thoroughly mixed. Mixture should start to stick together and that's good. If not, add a tsp of water and blend till sticky.

Remove container, take mixture and roll into balls. This makes about 24-30 balls.

When complete, roll balls into coconut flakes, shredded almonds or a powder of cinnamon, nutmeg and dash of cayenne. (The options are endless)

 Put in freezer. Take out ten minutes prior to serving. 

Serve by itself or with above Ice Cream desserts.  

Enjoy!

Crowding Out

Since it's summertime, barbeques and various events are aplenty and in full swing before Labor Day's last hurrah. Trailing close behind are Fall harvest festivals, Thanksgiving, Christmas . . .yeah. And if you're any "normal" American, you see all these occasions attached to various and memorable food traditions. (No Thanksgiving is complete without a seafood casserole or bisque in our family.) And, well, if you're in a vocation where food is often a centerpiece, it doesn't really matter what time of year it is, right? Pastors' families, ahem! (Not that I would know or anything.) So how do you stay healthy at parties?

Firstly, I don't buy into the pressure of having to pig out at all these events. But I still like to pig out. Often people come away the following day feeling bloated and self loathing. Who needs that? In fact, the longer our family continues on this healthy track, the more I realize how much others care about healthy food, too, and make efforts to bring those dishes to potlucks and parties.  I mean, what party have you been to where fruit, veggies and salads aren't around somewhere?  Sure the pulled pork and/or chicken and mac n' cheese casseroles likely take center stage. But unless you're from Mississippi (Sorry, fattest state), the chance of bumping into a plant at a party is pretty good. 

But you can still pig out minus the crummy psychological and physical aftermath. The trick is to crowd out. Pile on the salad (specifically greens, not mayo based salads) with a vinegar based dressing, veggie sticks, fruit, and nuts. Eat those first. In fact, I'd say have seconds.  Then, if you're still hungry, have some of the other non-plant things, in very small portions.  The theory is you probably won't be able to eat much more after you've eaten a plant strong appetizer and entree.  Plants take up more space than calorie dense foods like sugar, saturated fats and oils (found in meat and desserts).

After about a year and a half of practice, I can say with relative confidence that this really seems to work.  And it helps curb cravings.  What really seems to assail most people and trigger the "addictive mindless eating response" is salt and sugar.  For example, just the other day I was eating salted cashews. Not a horrible choice, but not the best one, either.  While cashews have protein and the good fats, they are pretty heavy. (Nevermind that these were not raw, so certainly that's a whole other issue) Anyway, after a couple handfuls my stomach told me "no more," but my mind continued to want the salty taste in my mouth. My mind won, and my stomach was upset the remainder of the evening.  So clearly I need more practice.  Drinking more water would have helped, too.  

The Crowding Out theory is real.  Health Coaches guide folks with this approach all the time, especially for those needing to start slow.  Prior to this more concientious way of eating, I was a high intake meat, potatoes and everything cooked gal who got away with it for a number of years thanks to excessive exercise.  Yet it caught up with me in my mid to late twenties as joints became inflamed and the exercise was just a mask to the pain, rather than a supplemental health enhancement.  Certainly food couldn't help, now, could it?

Since this dietary shift, I am no longer in the same kind of pain. I also exercise differently and have never felt physically and mentally better in my life, even in spite of life's inevitable stresses and curve balls. So there's that.  

Anyone else experience reversals from your bad health due to dietary changes (to more plant based foods)? We'd love to hear from you. 

Super-Juicer! (Um, that's YOU!)

Faster than a cheesecloth and many juicers combined. Able to leap over large containers with a single elastic . . .  

 Look up in the painter's aisle! It's a bird! It's a plane! 

No, it's a paint strainer! 

For those where money is no object, ye need not read any further. 

Go get ye a fancy juicer.

And a chef or maid. 

For the rest of us, this just might be the best two dollars you've spent in a long time.  Because not only do you get one, but TWO paint strainers in a single bag at the local Lowe's or Home Depot.  

I chose the 1 gallon varietal, but there are various volumes from which to pick. 

I have yet to test how long they each last, but since I bought them and have just been using one for the last couple weeks, they seem pretty sturdy. 

 

As many of you know, I love my Vitamix blender. Even brought it on vacation with us.

(It traveled well. . . added about 12lbs to the luggage, but was so worth it.) 

Anyhow, there are times when smoothies are a little much, and a fresh juice is more along the lines of what my body needs.  

Unfortunately, the run of the mill juicers at Walmart are not as efficient. 

Also, it gets expensive to juice all the time, thus not making it very economical to do (for me)--never mind the fact that the really good juicers are expensive anyway.  

But again, if you are Daddy Warbucks and looking for the creme de la creme of juicers, I recommend the Norwalk Juicer or the Green Star GS-1000.

Since I'm more of Little Orphan Annie's fiscal speed, I was delighted to learn about paint strainers' efficiency. The Vitamix does such a great job of breaking down all of the fruits and veggies, I add just a little bit of water into the blender, and the enzymes and flavors aren't lost.

In fact, I'd argue that it comes pretty darn close to as nutrient dense as you can get with some of the finer juicers. 

So, just to recap, here'sa whatcha do:

1. Put all desired fruits/veggies in Vitamix (or other high speed blender). 

2. Add about 2/3 water level.

3. Blend till very smooth.

4. Pour about 1/2 of smoothie into paint strainer which should be wrapped around the outside of the juice container.

5. Pull paint strainer bag up and wring the juice into container. Wring and finish till desired consistency.

6. Dump pulp into garbage disposal or compost. Some people use the pulp in various recipes or for dog food.

7. Drink juice or chill in refrigerator. 

This is the Beetox (Beet-Detox) recipe. One of my faves!

GMO-O-O-OMG! . . .An FYI

The title was meant to be cute. But enough alphabet soup already.  It's hard enough to decipher which produce to eat regarding organic or conventional, but with the recent onslaught of GM (genetically modified) products within the last couple of decades, it might be better to refrain from those veggies altogether, right? 

Well, in the dozens of articles that I've read on the subject, the following one was probably the most concise and helpful in understanding what Genetically Modified Organisms are, why they are a problem (Hello, peanut, gluten and everything-allergy and health epidemics!) and what is being done. Better Nutrition is a decent mag that I get at my health food store, but as you can see, all the articles are online, too. 

Hope this helps put things into perspective. 

Also, below Robyn O'Brien shares her story about why she crusades for the truth about the food industry in America.  She was an unlikely candidate to do so, since she worked as a financial analyst for the food industry. The impetus? Bewilderment as to why her children contracted allergies to food that she'd grown up on (or so she thought).  Take a listen.