I want to hear your thoughts.

I have a lot of food/exercise/wellness posts mulling around in my head. 
But I'm going to hold off. For two reasons: 

#1) I didn't go for my "time away" this weekend to write, which means I have no brain and can't find time after I put my kids to bed to do anything but (possibly) do the dishes and (hopefully) take a shower. Tonight literally my to-do list was: make one phone call, do the dishes, collapse on our air mattress with the laptop and watch the Biggest Loser. Sleep. 

#2) This Marie Claire article has me REELING. 

I want to hear your thoughts on it. Go read it first. 

Then let's talk.

I come from a place of having very disordered eating in the past. Every unhealthy eating or exercise habit under the sun, I've attempted. And only in the past year or so, I've felt some real healing in my relationship with food and exercise - a sweet balance where I care and love nutrition and the wellness that comes from a body that grows healthier by the day, but an openhandedness when it comes to perfection: since being fit or being ultimately healthy is no longer my idol. A lot of that perspective, I feel like, has been aided by reading food blogs. Healthy food blogs. To see healthy women, eating, living, exercising, and enjoying cookies. 

But now I'm intrigued. 
What do you think? 
Do you read "the big six"?
Do you feel discouraged or encouraged? 
Let's talk. 

Love and Pumpkin. Preferably both.

I love this girl.

She is Steve's sister, and is alternately called Teen, Bean, Tina, and Christina. If you ever walk into a hospital and see her in the white coat, you thank your lucky stars because you've landed in the best medical care you're ever gonna find. She teaches me so much about how to assemble myself in a semi-cute way, what fearlessness looks like, how to shake off the words others sometimes throw at you, and how to be confident in myself--just the way I am.

For all these things and many, many more: I just adore this girl. I love her so much, I wanted to make her favorite cookies on her most recent visit home. Howeva...

I love her so much, I could not bear to make her cookies with 2, count 'em, TWO sticks of butter. That's like 1/2 a tablespoon of butter per cookie.

Teen's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies.

• 1 C. white flour
• 1 C. wheat flour
• 1 1/3 C. steel cut oats
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2/3 C. sugar
• 2/3 C. brown sugar
• 2/3 C. applesauce
• 2 T. agave nectar (or honey!)
• 1 T. ground flax
• about 1 C. fresh pumpkin puree (or you can use the canned stuff, I just happened to have the real deal in the freezer)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• chocolate chips in the amount of your liking (I used about 6 oz.)

Combine the flours, oats, spices, baking soda and salt in one mixing bowl. In another, mix the sugars, applesauce, agave, flax, pumpkin and vanilla just until combined. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, about 1/3 at a time. Add the chocolate chips, then spoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or not. I like p. paper because it makes clean-up a breeze and I think it keeps the flavor a little more pure, but that's just my craziness.). Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 and try not to burn your tongue.

Here's the best part: I baked about 12 cookies, which was about half the dough, then rolled the rest up in some wax paper, froze it, and sent Teen on her merry way back to NYC with some ready-to-bake, stuffed-with-love, just-a-touch-on-the-healthier-side cookie dough. Or she doesn't even have to bake it--no eggs! Eat it raw if you want to, Teen! I won't tell anyone!

And speaking of 1%... These cookies can swing either way! If you're working your way slowly into the quinoa side of life, tinker with the flour and sugars a bit. If your personal pendulum is presently swinging the way of the pizza, go all in! Use 2 sticks of butter! I promise I'll still love ya.

1% change, volume 1

Hey friends! Hope ya'll are doing well today. 
Here's a new idea. 
In the past few days, I've gotten a few emails/comments on facebook/had a few conversations about questions people might have if they're more on the pizza side of the equation, rather than the quinoa. Which makes complete sense. Two years ago, my family and I ate basically only two fruits, three or four vegetables regularly, and most meats and processed foods. We considered ourselves healthy eaters because we didn't eat fast food twice a week, but I didn't know or care much more about the vast world of nutrition and TASTE that was untapped for me. So, here's a quote from a friend...

I am writing this to reach out to people that are eating healthy and passionately.  As friends, you know me and understand me.  I love reading your food blog but it seems soo foreign to me.  I watch the simple suggestions on The Biggest Loser and think  "well it would be nice if I ate any of those things..."

I am hoping that you might offer blog support to someone that is still stuck in the "pizza phase" of "pizza to quinoa."  I would love to know some basic tricks of the trade, ways to integrate healthy flavors in simple textures, baby steps for those of us that eat from boxes and cans.....

So her email, mixed with other conversations and comments got me thinking.
A few weeks ago, I heard a radio program about healthy living where a doctor was encouraging patients to make a 1% change every day. Don't try and be a yoga-going, coconut-water-drinking, vegan overnight. Who says that is even the healthiest BEST thing for you? Don't go to the grocery store and  in one day decide that you're going to stop buying anything but fruits and vegetables? But for goodness sakes, I'd be sad if this blog or the idea of healthy eating made you look at your cabinets, get overwhelmed and give up. 
So, one percent changes. Those are easy. 
I'm still into making those changes myself. 
And how great would it be if instead of hearing a health expert/doctor/coach from the Biggest Loser lecturing you about, "DON'T EAT THIS!" or "DON'T DO THAT!", you hand a friend/fellow mom/non-expert internet acquaintance to say, "maybe just try this! it's delicious!". I think that sounds muuuuuuch better. 

So you guys keep reading, we'll start brainstorming some 1% changes to post about once a week and we'll keep in mind that while some people are healthy living experts who could whip up a quinoa dish to make us cry (happy, yummy tears), there are plenty of people reading while eating some pizza from a box and needing some basic steps. 

And, are you ready? Here's your first one! 

Go to the store and get some pears. 

A few reasons why. 
1. Anytime you can eat a whole food, non-processed item for a snack - you're doing good. It naturally has things to nourish your body, do good things for your blood sugar, your skin, your hair. On and on and on. 
2. They're in season. Fruits in season are cheaper cost-wise, their flavor is at it's peak (they're the most DELICIOUS), and you know you aren't eating a fruit that was modified or fed weirdo chemicals to make it ripen out of season. PLUS you've put less of a strain on the environment by eating something that hasn't had to come from six countries away since pears are in season right now in the US. 

So, you've bought some pears. Eaten them instead of snickers or chips or wheat thins or beef jerky. Which, you know, were not saying are bad - but you've done something BETTER! And in buying and eating a pear, 

you've made a 1% massive change. 

my new almost favorite workout

Here's the situation, I needed to run today. I'm on this schedule, blah blah blah. 
Something you should know about me, is when I make a plan or a schedule - it is VERY hard for me to back out. It's like planners guilt or something. 


But you know how it goes, it was raining all day, the kids got up super early, on and on and on. All of a sudden it was 4:30pm, I knew I had to make dinner and I knew I wouldn't run after eating dinner - plus the whole act of wrestling three children into bed usually exhausts me to the point of inability to exercise. Enter wonderful Nonny, my mom, who decides to whisk the kiddos off to the grocery store and out for dinner. Husband is still working, dinner is mostly prepped. 
I seize my chance and run out in the drizzle. 


And I'M BOOKING IT. No ipod, no watch, nothing but me and a few miles. 
I literally kept thinking, "wow - I can't believe I've finally reached this point in running where I don't constantly think about wanting to stop!" What a feeling! And then, I hear a thunder of death resound through all of South Carolina and basically shake the pavement beneath my feet. 
Poop. The sky is about to open up. As I round the corner after my first 1.5 miles and embark on the next, I see my husband pulling out of the driveway - coming to get me because it is obviously too unsafe to run in this kind of end-of-times thunder & lightning. 

So what did I do? 
Make up a hilarious new marriage workout. Indoors. 
Turned on some music and decided I would move, move, move until my body gave out. 

Cardio for a few minutes, weights for a few minutes, yoga pose. Repeat. 

jumping jacks. bicep/hammer curls. pigeon. 

alternating front kicks. shoulder press. half moon. 

When I ran out of ideas, I asked Nick to yell out new moves. 
This was not the wisest idea. His suggestions were always too hard. But when your husband is standing over you, WATCHING YOU, (and then taking pictures of you!?), how can you not complete his suggestions? His last suggestions was 20 complete cycles of the running the stairs at my parents house. Around number 13, I think I yelled, "you're putting the kids to bed!"Around number 15, I croaked, "puh-lease get me some water!"

Not as good or as fun as my semi-successful-seming run, but it was a blast to get drill-sargent-barked-at by my husband. 

getting you through the day

It was one of those mornings. 
This morning, I woke up, and felt the burden to be a good wife/mom/lady - but no ability to do any of those things. I was just too burnt out.
The only remedy I knew was some quiet time reading and praying and nutella pumpkin pancakes. To be honest with you - it didn't HAVE to be nutella pumpkin pancakes. 
It just needed to be something that I could make that would feel like a celebration for my family, something I could make well and figuratively just give them a little hug though their tummies. 


It worked. 

Not vegan. Not low-fat or low-calorie. Not light on love either. 
I even used half and half instead of almond milk. 
Because it was one of those days that I needed to use cuddling over "please-watch-the-tv-while-I-do-blank" and on those days, lavishing your babes with pancakes seems fitting. 

What is for you, today?
What's the extra excitement that will add inspiration? 
What can you do well to make the world a little fuller? 

If it's nutella pumpkin pancake's - here's my recipe: 

Nutella Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups flour of your choice

1.5 cups milk of your choice

handful of dry oats

.5 cup of canned pumpkin

2 eggs
2 tbsp honey

2 tablespoons baking powder

sprinkle of salt

squirt of vanilla

dash of cinnamon, nutmeg

3 tbs oil of choice

generous, generous dollop of nutella

Kohlrabi Latkes. Trust Me.

Ever seen one of these beauts?

It's okay, I hadn't either, until my brilliant CSA farmer gave them to me. It's called kohlrabi, which means "German turnip," although it's in the cabbage family. I first tried slicing and eating these raw on a salad. Really not a fan. But I think we've discussed here how much guilt I carry about wasting food. I'm also a touch on the competitive side, so the idea of being beaten by a vegetable just doesn't suit.

Now, there's an added challenge here: my sweet boy has a tendency to distrust vegetables. Something about an apple pie that was actually zucchini... I don't know. It's his emotional food baggage, I respect that. But I also need some help eatin' all these dang vegetables.

Well if there's 2 things I love, it's hanging out with people in my kitchen and promptly feeding them. So when our dear friends Nick and Kara returned from a long vacation recently, I was way too excited to have them over to play Medford's Test Kitchen. Luckily for me, Nick will eat anything and Kara is way too polite to ever tell me no. Ever. So together we tested an idea I had for using up these kohlrabi: kohlrabi latkes. We ate, critiqued, and tried again. Here is what we came up with:

Peel and grate these.

Finely chop this.

Do this to those. (You may want to squeeze them out with a couple of paper towels. If you don't get enough water out, you'll have soggy latkes. Gross.)

Crack these into a bowl with the grated business, plus a handful or two of breadcrumbs. (Or try Jessi's fab trick of making your own oat flour!)

Add these to the taste of your liking.

Do this in that. (I used canola oil. I use olive oil for everything, but I was frying these at medium-high, so I didn't want the oil to burn. Pick your favorite oil. Then tell me how much you love it!) Try 3-4 minutes on each side.

This made about 12 little pancakes, which was sufficient for two dinners for 2 people. I ate mine with soy sauce the first time we made them. This time I used sour cream and some Trader Jose's turkey chili.

Holler!

banana splits & the v word.

deliciouso snack of the day. banana splits.

split banana, drizzled in sunflower seed butter, honey, and sprinkled with granola.

I wanted to follow up a little bit about yesterday's blog, and my big declaration.

Not just were the comments fun to read, but I also got some emails and chatted with some people who wanted to talk more about the whole veganism switch so...

Here are a few things I left out/want to respond to.

a) Despite my use of hyperbole, it's not really a big declaration. In general, we're not talking huge life change - more cutting out the occasional egg and not nibbling on pepperoni's while I make pizza for my kids. But this is a food blog, so you kind of have to make big deal about food:). Or at least, I think it's fun to.

b) The problem with using hyperbole for fun is that it makes it seem like food is sooooo important, which don't get me wrong - I mean, I do write a food blog:). But community trumps food, family trumps food, real life wins out every time. I've never told someone who's had me to dinner that I don't eat gluten and if my husband just begs me to eat frozen yogurt with him, well - goodness gracious, I don't want to hurt our marriage. But no matter what happens in my kitchen, food is still a miniscule piece of my life that brings me joy and causes me to worship the Lord who created it - rather than worshipping the food itself.

c) I love what Kara said - "don't think about what you can't have..". That is absolutely my philosophy. I wake up each morning and when it comes time to eat, I think - what is the most delicious, healthiest thing I can eat?! And it usually ends up being some vegan oatmeal. When it comes to lunch, my body genuinely prefers a massive salad or a veggie burger or some roasted carrots with hummus.

d) I love everyone who's worried about my protein intake:) I'm the same way and worry about everyone else's protein intake but never my own. But here's why I don't get too worried. a - I think Americans in general are too hyped up about protein. Self included. b - I eat an insane amount of nut butter:) And also many many other foods that provide lots of protein. Almonds, almond milk, oatmeal, granola, legumes, veggies, etc. But I promise if I start looking sickly, I'll take myself aside and have a serious talk.

e) Faythe, I wish I was there with you while you ate your string cheese and meatballs. I'm a big fan of meat/dairy eaters and I think they should eat them to the glory of God:). I would never pressure or really even encourage someone super close to me, (much less a stranger!) to make food changes like this. That is not my thing. I'll still be making my family burgers sans beans, pies when necessary and needed, as well giving my kiddos string cheese during grocery store meltdowns. This blog is still a celebration of food - not a weight to sit on anyone's shoulder and make them feel bad.

So there are my thoughts. Do you have any more? Let's keep talking.

I like this:)

Maybe tomorrow I'll announce I'm going to eat only beets for the rest of my days just to continue the conversation.