Did you know that carrots are grown year round in that magical land called California?

I’d never actually given it much thought until recently.  It suddenly occurred to me that the 5# bag of organic California carrots that I buy every few weeks is always the same price, January or July.

The perfect ingredient for a winter salad!

This is a simple salad that we made regularly in my house while I was growing up.  It is fast, requires only a few ingredients, and is an unusual mix of sweet, sour, and crunchy.

California Dreamin’ Salad

Makes 6-8 servings and keeps for a few days in the fridge

• 3 cups grated organic carrots (I swear they taste better!)
• 1/2 cup of either raisins or chopped dates or a combination of both
• juice from one lemon
• optional: a few tablespoons of strips of Meyer lemon peel
• optional: top with salted, roasted sunflower seeds

I almost always have these three things in my house so even if the fridge is practically bare and the garden is sleeping I can manage to make a fresh, raw, nutritious salad, thanks to California.

Good ol’ California.  Where carrots are grown year round, lemons hang from the tress, the raisins sing, and dates are plentiful.  What a wonderland.

Meyer lemons are ripening on the trees out West as we speak and I was thrilled to find them for a reasonable price at my local produce store.    For this salad I used the juice from a regular lemon and about an eighth of a peel of Meyer, sliced into slivers.  The peel was actually a little intense yesterday but by today it’s mellowed and was delicious!

This salad can be eaten right away but I think it gets better if it’s allowed to sit a while, the raisins and dates soak up the lemon and become plump and juicy.

It’s not California but I am West coast bound on Wednesday!

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There are plenty of healthy, whole food crackers on the market these days but many of the more ‘gourmet’ ones can easily run upwards of $5 for a 2 ounce box.  The way we eat around here that’s a once in a while splurge.

Rosemary is my all time favorite cracker addition so these little crunchers included plenty, fresh picked from my herb bed.  I’ve seriously neglected my herbs this winter but there is still plenty of thyme, oregano, sage, and rosemary out there; I should be throwing it into every meal for some just picked freshness!

Rosemary Crunchers

Pre-heat the oven to 350*

Wheat free and potentially gluten free (if gf oats are used)

Makes 30-40 crackers depending on how big you cut them

• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/2 cup of almond meal*
• ~tablespoon of rosemary (dried or fresh)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons water

1.  Blend oats in food processor until no whole pieces are left
2. Add almond meal, rosemary, and salt and process until combined
3. Add grated cheese and process until combined
4. With the blade running, slowly drizzle in a tablespoon of water and process for about 30 seconds
5. Check the consistency, you are looking for the dough to hold together when you pinch it between your fingers.  If it’s still really crumbly then turn the blade on and add another teaspoon of water. It can quickly get to wet so only add a tiny bit at a time.
6. Scrape the dough onto a baking sheet covered with a silpat or parchment paper and form a ball
7. 
8. There are two options here.  You can either use your hands to press the dough down flat and spread it out or you can mash it down then cover it with parchment and roll it flat with a rolling pin.  Unfortunately the dough sticks-bad-to a rolling pin.  If you find a better method, by all means please let me know!  The objective is a nice flat dough about cracker thickness, whatever that means to you.  Try to get it as uniform throughout as possible so it bakes evenly.
9. Score the dough with a knife into whatever size/shape crackers you want.  I went with a roughly even squares about the size of a Wheat Thin and got about 35 crackers (I didn’t count until after I’d munched several). You can also dust the top of the dough with a little extra salt if you like that sort of thing.
10. Bake for 15-20 minutes, keeping a close eye towards the end to avoid over browning.  They are ready when the edges are juststarting to become a dark brown and the center feels hard.
11. Let cool then break along the score!  They should be nice and crisp once cooled.  I store mine in a wide mouth Mason jar but I’m sure a Tupperware would work just fine.

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Not politics.  Not sports.  Not fashion.

Food is the thing that intrigues and entertains me.

I am fascinated by the pleasure it gives us, by its necessity, by the chemical transformations it undergoes, and by the effect it has on every cell in our bodies.

Food is one of the more complicated aspects of our daily lives.  From day to day our appetites and preferences can shift and as we age the way our body processes food changes.   We are constantly faced with choices, for which I am grateful although sometimes a little overwhelmed.

There is no area where I find it more important to be an informed consumer than with food.  I am hungry for information about where a food comes from, it’s processing process, it’s history, it’s environmental impact, it’s health qualities, and it’s  downsides.

All of this knowledge allows me to make informed decisions about what I consume.   Does it stop me from eating that chip made from corn from Iowa that was shipped to China to be fried in trans fat and covered in artificial color and flavor?  Often times yes, it makes it less appealing to me but if I’m in the mood I may eat it anyway but fewer and less often.

Many of the choices that I make as a consumer are about lessening my impact on the planet and limiting my exposure to potentially harmful substances.  Not eliminating, just limiting.  I have no desire to live in a bubble.

After some research many months ago about what happens to most fats when exposed to heat I pretty much quite cooking with anything but butter and coconut oil.

Saturated fats are some of the most heat-stable fats available; they won’t start to deteriorate and potentially cause a free radical free for all inside your body.  And that old worry about cholesterol?  The problem stems from the “modern” diet of trans fat, processed foods, sugar overload, and meat, eggs, and dairy that are not grass fed.  Coconut oil and grass-fed butter can even have positive effects on your bad cholesterol by reducing inflammation in the body.

What about olive and canola oils, which are generally touted as ‘healthy’ choices?

I love olives and the flavor of olive oil but heat quickly destroys the benefits so it’s not suitable for cooking.  My other concern with olive oil is regarding it’s purity.  Nearly every week I come across an article, like this one, telling me that the olive oil I’m buying may be more like “olive-canola-safflower-oil”.   I still keep it around for flavoring salad dressings or drizzling on cooked grains but I no longer think of it was the healthiest choice.

Canola oil requires both high heat and chemicals to extract the oil, a process that turns some of the omega-3 content into trans fat.  Buying unrefined, cold-pressed (low heat processing), expeller-pressed (chemical free processing) canola oil helps avoid this issue but leaves you with an oil that isn’t suited for cooking on anything more than the lowest heat.  Canola oil is also commonly genetically engineered so if you’re not down with that than you want to also add “organic” to your list of demands.

My bottom line is that coconut oil and grass-fed butter taste really good to me, aren’t very heat/light sensitive, and probably have health benefits.  By using them both as my primary home cooking fats I limit my intake of potentially harmful overheated and over-processed oils.

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It was the early ’90′s and my papa wasn’t eating eggs as part of his macrobiotic diet.  For a while we used the Ener-G egg replacer for baked goods but then one day my papa gave me some little brown seeds and told me to blend them with some water to make “eggs” for the cake.  I knew at that moment that this was one special little seed.

The flavor of flax was never the big appeal to me, although I don’t mind it; it’s the health claims and it’s ability to add volume and act like eggs that has made me a consumer for over half of my life.

As you are probably aware, the oil in flax is very sensitive to heat and light.  The whole seeds serve as a protective casing against the elements but once the oil is extracted or the seeds are milled the super unsaturated oil will quickly go rancid unless stored properly in a dark container in a cool place.

So what about baking or cooking with flax?  I was thinking about this last night as I mixed up some crackers with flax meal.

Is baking with flax counterproductive?  Does the exposure to heat in the cooking process negate any health benefits?

The answer is not clear cut.

From what I’ve learned it appears that exposure to heat starts the process of breaking down the omega-3′s but it doesn’t necessarily destroy them completely.  The longer a product baked with flax sits around the longer it has time for the essential fatty acids to go rancid.  To me this means that it’s alright to bake with flax at home in small batches that will be eaten quickly and can be stored in the fridge.

What about those delicious breads covered in crunchy flax seeds?  The whole seed can protect the oil from a certain amount of exposure and help keep all the good fat in tact but all you’re going to get from them, nutritionally, is insoluble fiber.  Fiber’s a good thing but as long as you are eating a whole foods diet most of the time it’s not necessary to suppliment.  Plus, when it comes to flax it means that you are missing out on a plethora of B vitamins, protein, lignans, antioxidants, calcium, manganese, and magnesium.

I can’t find much definitive information on the ill-effects of heated flax meal but I do know that the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is often tipped when oils are heated.  I will miss cooking with flax eggs and meal but I am going to stick to raw flax for the most part.  More in tomorrow’s post on When Good Oils Go Bad!

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They were only $5- I couldn’t help myself!

Mari Winsor is a great Pilates teacher.  We have different styles but I really appreciate her attention to detail and form.  Her workouts always feel fast paced but not rushed.

Pros: it’s a good length (the express workout is about 20 minutes) and appropriate for many levels because she gives regressions, progressions, and loads of form cues.  Unlike many Pilates dvd’s I’ve done I feel like this one is actually pretty good for beginners because of the progression of the workout and the depth of information on Pilates fundamentals.

Cons: this workout is pretty basic exercise (nothing that I don’t already have in my Pilates toolbox) so I don’t think I would do it more than once or twice a month.

Love her or loathe her, Jillian Michael is a force.  The women is building her empire and I kind of find it admirable.

When she burst onto the scene with the debut of The Biggest Loser I was immediately repelled by her aggressive and extreme approach to fitness.  Years later my mom read her book on metabolism and was really impressed with Michael’s unique and in depth take on the subject.  Eventually I started to warm up to the idea of her and got the Shred dvd about a year ago.

I like her general style; work hard through interval training with a focus of resistance work and full body, functional movements.  Her workouts tend to be achievable but challenging for my level of fitness and they are generally fast paced.

The thing that still drives me insane about Michael’s is her attack-the-body mentality.  She seems to view exercise as a necessary evil in order to stay “skinny”.  I know that she believe’s in exercise and fitness for disease prevention and mental health as well but so much of her language is focused on getting through a workout so you can enjoy your body.  Personally, one of the times I enjoy my body the most is during a workout!

The fact that the front of this video claims that you can “lose up to 5 pounds a week” is absurd and just another example of Michael’s extreme approach.  As much as I cringe at the title telling me that some of my body parts are giving me “trouble” I did appreciate it when my husband saw it sitting on the counter and remarked “but you don’t have ‘saddlebags’, a ‘muffin top’, or ‘wobbly arms’!”.  Boy do I love this man.   (It’s not that they’re not there it’s that I choose not to think of them as “trouble” and he chooses not to see them.:))

This video is not what I expected but in a good way.

Pros: Michael’s was toned down; she doesn’t yell once!  The workout is strictly resistance for a solid 40 minutes so it’s no/low impact (the warm up has a few jumping jacks I think.   The sets are pretty short which keeps the pace moving.  I don’t like high repetition and I found the number of repetitions perfect.  I used 5-9 pound weights and felt gently worked but wasn’t sore the next day.  This workout didn’t make me break a sweat and was energizing but not tiring, which is perfect for days when I am low energy and/or don’t want to shower afterward.

Cons: I generally prefer to get a little cardio with my strength through interval type workouts.  This will be a monthly regular but it’s too basic to do often for me, although I tend to like to switch it up no matter what.

Do you like instructors who seem to tolerate exercise only as a “necessary evil”?  I can imagine that if you really don’t like to move this may make an instructor more relatable but honestly I have a hard time believing that anyone can’t find at least one form of movement that they enjoy.  What about the attitude that the body is a constant problem that we must continually “fix”? I am really curious to hear if anyone else also has a strong reaction to this attack-the-body type fitness.   It’s not the hard, intense workout aspect that I’m wary of (I kinda love that oh-my-gosh-I-am-shaking-and-might-puke feeling) but rather the resistance to accepting our bodies limitations and unique qualities that turns me off.

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And yet I am.

In most facets of my life I am a die hard DIYer: the “why buy it when you can make it” philosophy rules my kitchen, garden, and home decor.

But when it comes to “products” I like the aesthetic of a commercial package, the written directions telling me how much to use each time, and the added scents and magic powers.

I am trying to get over it though because I am learning more and more that homemade cleaning and beauty products can be of superior quality, have a smaller carbon footprint, and cost significantly less.

DIY Laundry Soap

I’m a little late to this party, Ashley among others have written a few posts on homemade laundry soap, but I thought I’d tell you my experience anyway.

Five Simple Ingredients

1. Borax
2. Washing Soda
3. Baking Soda (whoops, not pictured above, sorry!)
4. Bar Soap
5. Essential Oil (optional for added scent)

I used this post from Wellness Mama as a guide but cut her “recipe” into quarters because I didn’t want to deal with 5 GALLONS of detergent.

Here’s what I did:

On the stove in a big soup pot I heated one gallon of water.  When the water became warm to the touch I turned off the heat and stirred in

• 1/4 cup borax
• 1/4 cup washing soda
• 1/4 cup baking soda

In another big soup pot I heated two quarts of water.  While it heated I grated a 1/4th of a bar of Dr. Bronners soap then added it to the water when it simmered.  I turned off the water and stirred for a minute or two until it dissolved then added it to the other pot.

As I stirred everything up in the big pot I added about 25 drops of lavender essential oil then left it to cool.

Once cool the mixture went into jars for storage and use!

It’s not necessary to go through the process of adding it to water, you can just mix the powders and grated soap together and use like dry detergent, but I prefer liquid detergent.   If you use measuring cups/pots/etc. from your kitchen make sure to clean them thoroughly before using them for food!

After the detergent cools completely it turns into a very thin gel, just like “store bought”.

To use I added about 3/4 of a cup to my wash and went on my way.  First thing I noticed (after the delicious lavender scent) was that it doesn’t really foam up like what I’m used to.  I read that that is normal and doesn’t diminish the cleaning power.

When I switched the clothes into the dryer they felt clean and smelled great.  Once dry I didn’t notice any difference from what I am used to with commercial products.

Conclusion: It was cheap.  I spent less than $20 on supplies and ended up with a gallon and a half of detergent plus barely used containers of washing soda, borax, soap, and essential oil.  As a total guesstimate I would say that the gallon and a half cost me $3 in material and less than 20 minutes of time.   The frugal gal in me is happy and my inner DIYer is satisfied but I am still going to keep my eyes out for even less processed ingredients to wash with.  Any ideas?

And any ideas about what to do with all of this extra borax and washing soap?  I’ve heard they are both great for cleaning, have you used them?   Anyone in Charlottesville want some to make their own detergent?

My last thought on green laundry is this: balls over dryer sheets any day!

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I made

Yogurt

Kombucha

Nettle tea

Lentils

Carrot Cake

Laundry Detergent (more on that tomorrow-the inaugural load is spinning right now!)

Salad

And MINT CHOCOLATE BARK!

I’m on a kick and although the kitchen has been mostly sugar-free in 2012 it has been full of chocolate!

This bark is pretty painless to throw together and really tasty.

In a bowl I combined 2 tablespoons local, raw honey with just under a 1/4 of a teaspoon mint extract.

In a double boiler I melted 4 squares (4 ounces) of unsweetened baking chocolate.

If I was not such a lazy cook I probably would have chopped and  tempered the chocolate for better results…but I didn’t.

I did make sure to take the pot off the heat before the chocolate was completely melted and stir it until smooth, that’s kind of like tempering right?

Anyways, to the chocolate I added the honey-mint mixture and a pinch of coarse salt and quickly stirred to incorporate completely.

Honey and chocolate have an interesting interaction: together they form a sort of dough.    Work quickly to smooth the dough onto a silpat or parchment paper with a rubber spatula or your hands (it won’t stick to your hands).

Looks like bark!

You can score it with a butter knife or just break it up once it’s cool.

Set in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden then break into pieces.  I store my bark in a mason jar in the cabinet.

I gave Tate a piece to Tate taste test without any hint as to the special ingredient.  His eyes lite up big and he said “whoa, what is that?”.  Super minty.  Super chocolaty.  Super sugar-free goodness.   My favorite part is the lingering mint breath.

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Let 2012 be the year of focus! (i proclaim as I jump off my ball to refill my teacup before typing the next sentence…focus fail)

I love, love, love technology but lately I feel like it’s destroying my ability to focus on one task at a time.  While I type a post, check a patient in, even read blogs I have like a hundred little tabs eyeing me, tempting me to abandon whatever it is I’m working on.   I try to tell myself that this is time management; while one page is loading I have time to read an e-mail, check my blog stats, and maybe even fit in a push up or two.   It’s not just web-induced distractions either, I am a “pro”at cooking lunch, brewing tea for later, unloading grocery bags, catching up on my favorite t.v. shows, and planning my dance classes all within a 15 minute time frame.  Does it save time?  Maybe sometimes but it’s also contributing to my diminishing ability to focus on one thing at a time and follow through with it.

Yesterday I put myself to the test.  My to-do list was long but I made myself start with the least pleasant tasks at hand and see them all the way through directly to the end: no throwing in laundry mid-thought, no extra tabs on the screen, just one single objective.  Temptations were everywhere but I did well and in the end I don’t think it took me any longer than it would have otherwise, it just didn’t include any internet shopping along the way .

Yoga is an excellent tool for practicing focus but even my yoga practices have started out distracted lately.  I lay out my mat and for the first ~10 minutes of practice I find myself filled with thoughts of being anywhere/ doing anything else.  It’s not that the yoga doesn’t feel amazing for my body but my mind is so accustomed to the stimulation of multi-tasking that it struggles to drop in to the focus of yoga and just be there.  After the initial confusion my mind remembers what it’s like to single-task and by the end of the practice (which is sometimes just 15 minutes) I feel clearer and calmer than I do any other time in the day.   Then I return to old habits.

My multi-tasking habits had me in such a tailspin yesterday that I did the one thing that I knew would force me to stop and do nothing. I booked an acupuncture treatment.  I don’t mind needles but that doesn’t mean acupuncture feels good exactly but it always feels like just what I need at the time.  And laying on a table alone with needles stuck into so many places that I can’t even move is a hell of a lesson in being present and focused on one task at hand.

I can’t wait for my appointment tomorrow!

Do you find yourself doing a thousand things at every moment?  Or have you found that you function better if you focus on one thing at a time?  What tips do you have to stay focused even while trying to complete many things at once?

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I woke up to a beautiful man making me a delicious breakfast, followed by a delicious yoga session in my living room.  The afternoon was spent with two dozen other dancers in a free workshop offered by the crew from The Unearthing, an amazing performance art extravaganza that is happening in Charlottesville.

Tate and I collaborated on a nourishing dinner of baked salmon, roasted pesto potatoes, and salad with Sweet But Not Refined Chocolate Tortes for dessert and shared the meal with two other couples.

The only thing my day was missing was a little more time outside but I did get some fresh air walking the mile to and from the dance studio.

I also spent the weekend sore.  My entire body got WORKED in a kettlebell class on Friday.  The class was awesome; fast-paced without an overload of swings, and it was a helluva reminder that I haven’t been pushing myself in my 2-3 times a week strength workouts.  Today, day three, I am just about back to normal!

Soreness is uncomfortable but I try to see it as information about my bodies strengths and weaknesses.   Soreness is also an opportunity for growth, literally.  The tenderness that we experience with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is a result of our muscles repairing themselves and growing bigger.  I am not interested in big muscles but I am interested my bones staying sturdy, keeping my metabolism humming, and my muscles remaining pliable and strong.  In order to achieve this I must challenge my body and occasionally make myself so sore that I feel it for three days.

I am really enjoying reading all of the recommendations for natural beauty and household products!  For those readers not in the United States I am super curious about whether you feel like this is relevant to you.   Are the standards for these products stricter in your country?

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Over the last week I’ve been using the apricot stuff I bought a while back and while I don’t love it, it’s okay.  I loved getting all of your suggestions in the comments to the original post and look forward to trying some of the products recommended but for now I’ll stick to the ones I’ve already purchased (waste not, want not ).

I would love your help with some more natural product recommendations!

What’s your favorite green clothes detergent?  How about face soap? Hand soap?  Shaving cream?  I am almost out of these products at home and while I’ve been buying green for over a year, I have yet to find a brand I LOVE.

Have you seen the amazing video The Story of Cosmetics put out the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics?

I am very sensitive to sensational claims and extreme accusations so I don’t necessarily believe everything in the video or that I need to go 110% chemical free.  I do however believe that for many companies consumer health is not their biggest concern because it’s incredibly difficult to pinpoint whether it was their product that caused harm.   I also believe in putting my money into companies that illustrate a concern and respect for my health, the health of their workers, and the health of the planet.  

It can be really challenging to distinguish “natural and green” from “chemical laden and nasty”.    Regulations surrounding the claims natural and organic are vague and I do not believe that they have the consumers best interest at heart.  What’s a girl to do?  More and more I’ve been seeking out companies with full transparency about their ingredients and mission statement.   Burt’s Bees is one of those brands, what are some others?

Do you think “greening” up your cosmetics and cleaning products is necessary?  Do you think it’s a waste of money?  Have you noticed a difference in your health by switching to green products?  I know that I will be exposed to trillions of “unwanted” substances in my life: soaking in through my skin, my lungs, and from what I eat, but I feel good about proactively limiting my exposure and supporting companies whose beliefs align with my own.

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