Quiche Lorraine with Rosemary Crust

Do you ever think back about how your life was a mere two years ago? The Gabi of two years ago could never imagine that I'd be living in an adorable little lakefront cabin with the love of my life and our sweet little pup, playing and recording music that people actually like, enjoying a successful academic career, and cooking my heart out. Life is pretty wonderful when you stop asking questions, follow your heart, and let the pieces fall.

That being said, it's the small wonders in life that make everything magical, like the sound of the frozen ice crashing on the banks in the morning or the sweet surprise of sugar and homegrown Rosemary in a sweet little quiche crust! I bring you my latest and greatest quiche creation.

But first, I have to admit: Our cabin has the most perfect light and windows. Inside I am growing, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, Chives, Dill, Basil, Aloe, Ginger, Garlic, and my sweet little Vanilla Orchid. If you knew how small my kitchen is, you'd be thoroughly impressed with my set-up. I understand that it is hard and sometimes impossible to grow fresh herbs inside, but if you have the right light, you are doing a disservice to your cooking by not having these little gems in your life. In fact, not only do they taste wonderful, but my chives just started blooming the most gorgeous purple flowers: beauty and taste bundled into one small little adventure.

*Quiche Lorraine with Rosemary Crust

For the crust:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (here you can substitute whole wheat if you wish)

2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (depending on your taste, you can go for 1 tbsp here, but I prefer the zing of the rosemary. You can also do half Rosemary/half Thyme)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp cold butter, chopped in half

5 tbsp shortening cold, chopped in 5 pieces

4 tbsp ice water

For the filling:

6 slices of bacon (I always use Low Sodium Bacon, but again, it's your preference)

1 onion, sliced

3 eggs

1.5 cups of fat free milk (here I substituted with Lactose free Smart Balance, and I also sometimes use Coconut Milk as well. Additionally, it depends on how heavy you want your quiche, but you could use whole milk. The fat free makes it light and healthier.)

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 cups of Gruyere or Swiss Cheese (I'm in love with Gruyere right now, so I'll find any excuse to use it. If you have never had it, it tastes like a more mild Swiss cheese mixed with parmigiana. The next time I make this, I am going to do 1 cup Gruyere and 1/2 cup Swiss because the Swiss gives it a little extra punch.)

1 tbsp all-purpose flour (again you can substitute whole wheat here)

In a large bowl combine flour, salt, and rosemary. Using your hands (This is the fun part! It is the time to let out all of life's stresses), gradually add the butter and then shortening. The butter and shortening should form into pea size pieces. At this point, your dough will not be smooth. and your hand, while properly moisturized from the shortening, will certainly be messy. Fold in the water and mix until dough has formed. Again, using your hands spread the dough along a 9"properly greased pie plate. Put this in the refrigerator for approximately 40-60 minutes depending on how long it takes the crust to firm.

*During this time, I start my quiche filling to cut down on time.

Partially bake the pie crust:

While the crust is in the fridge, preheat the over to 375 degrees. Once the crust is firm put foil over it, and bake it for 25-30 minutes. When you remove it from the oven, feel free to carefully push down any bubbles. Remove the foil and bake the crust for 5 more minutes or until it's golden brown.

*Turn the oven up to 450 degrees once the quiche crust is finished.

Make the filling:

In a pan, I used a cast iron skillet because it really brings out the flavors, cook bacon until it is crisp. Depending on your stove, this should take about 5 or 6 minutes. Take the bacon out, and place it on a paper towel to drain. Using enough drippings from the bacon to grease the pan, cook the onions until they are soft; this should take about 3 to 4 minutes, and then drain them as well. I understand that this is not the healthiest method of cooking onions, but it is okay to live a little once in a while, but certainly not ALL the time.

In a large boil whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt. Add the onions and bacon to the egg mixture. In another bowl (sorry for all of the dishes, but you can clean them while the quiche is cooking, which I tend to do. Wash and go all the way!) mix together the flour and cheese. Add this to the egg mixture as well, and make sure that everything is evenly mixed.

*I was thinking that next time I make this, I may add some herbs to the egg mixture as well to give it a little extra something.

Pour the egg mixture in the pie crust and bake for 40 minutes. The cooking time for quiche is really up in the air, and it depends on when the eggs congeal. The cooking time of 40 minutes is when everything is at room temperature. If it's cold, then give it a little more time. The rule of thumb here is once you stick your knife through the center of the quiche and it comes out clean, like a cake, it's ready. But check it frequently because you do not want it to overcook.

Sit down with a glass of wine, enjoy life, and indulge in the important things!

Here's some music to whisk to. I first heard this song when I was in the grocery store, and it made my food shopping experience a little bit more jazzy:

Yum In My Tum Tom Kha

I've become really fascinated with the ways music and food interweave. For example, the punk culture of the 90's becoming part of the growing vegan culture today. I began to think about music I listen to when I cook, and how it influences my palate. I usually listen to folk music, with a large chunk dedicated to Ingrid Michealson; as you might imagine, I too fall into a category of knee sock-boot wearing earthy chic, who gardens, eats in season, knits (though not cooking relating, but neither is the fact that I wear boots everyday), and blogs, and here I thought I was unique ;)

It's been a whirlwind of a year, and I rarely find time to blog. I, however, generally have time to cook, so I have LOTS of great new recipes. I've recently moved (yes, again!), but now I'm in heaven with my own kitchen and lots of quiet. I moved most of my potted plants from my garden inside our new house; they are thriving here. My african violet is loving life. Before she didn't have any flowers, and now she's filled with both flowers and hunter green foliage.

As the leaves began to yellow on my ginger plant, I decided to harvest the root. What I didn't realize was aside from the tubers, ginger has long tough roots. Silly me, I tried to harvest it in the kitchen. I quickly realized, we didn't have any gardening tools, so I used a spatula. My wonderful partner woke up and walked into the kitchen just in time to spot, me spatula in hand, attempting to dig up ginger roots, but instead plowing a huge clot of dirt from the pot onto my shirt, the floor, and into my mouth. At this point, I decided to move outside. After a little more struggling, this time with a spoon, alas mission accomplished.

I now have a HUGE bowl of ginger root. I'm giving some away to friends and family and replanting the remainder for next year's harvest. In the meantime, I've been on ginger overload. Thus, I bring you the BEST Tom Kha soup I have ever had! For those of you who have never heard of Tom Kha, it is a coconut milk soup with chili paste. It's sweet, and you can make it however spicy you want. This recipe originally came from myrecipe.com, but I have since altered it.

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
• 1 can (14 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth (to make this vegan, you can use faux chicken broth)
• 8-10 quarter-size slices fresh ginger (this really depends on how strong of a ginger taste you want in your soup. The original recipe calls for 6 quarter-size slices, but I put 8; otherwise it's bland).
• 1 stalk fresh lemongrass, cut in 1-in. pieces (this is optional, especially for those who cannot find it in the grocery store. Additionally, you can use lemongrass paste, which adds the same flavor. I leave this out if I can't find any at the store.)
• 1 pound shrimp (this is optional too, for a vegan/vegetarian version use tofu)
• 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (I don't usually measure this. I squeeze an entire lime into my soup.)
• 1 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
• 1 teaspoon sugar (plus a couple dashes. keep tasting the soup until it's flavorful)
• 2 teaspoon Thai chili paste (similar to the sugar, just keep adding it slowly to see when the flavor is right for you)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped leeks

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk, broth, ginger, and lemongrass and bring to boil over high heat. Add shrimp, mushrooms, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chili paste. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is firm and opaque, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard lemongrass. Garnish servings with basil and leeks.

On a side note, while I was cooking dinner last night, I was absolutely famished. I forgot my lunch at home, and was surviving on pretzels the entire day. But I recently discovered Amy's Organic Pita Pockets. These are ABSOLUTELY perfect for someone on the go. Some of them are vegan. I snacked on one while my soup simmered.

Music to simmer to:

American Girl in Spain

This summer I've spent some time in California, where I thought I wanted my roots planted. But as of recent and in part because of a trip to Barcelona, I don't know that my roots are ready to stay in any specific soil, at least not yet.

As I sit over a plate of eggs from our neighbors farm, with fresh basil and tomatoes from our garden, I feel, breathe, and eat (literally) the pleasure of late August air dripping with a slight hint of fall breeze. I love fall: the brisk air at night that forces lovers closer, colors changing from green to oranges, college football (I had to slip this one in there), and of course the wonderful smell of fall cooking, pumpkin being of course my favorite. But I'm not sure I want to stay in a space where fall turns to winter. I was not made for winter. I need to spend my winters discovering cultures of a warmer climate, but more specifically food culture within the cultures. While I was in Spain, I continued to say, and perhaps this is because after six years of Spanish classes, I still stumble over my own tongue, there are two things that speak a universal language: music and food.

In Barcelona, there are wonderful markets unlike anything I had seen before. It's like a side pocket of traditional culture that lingers off the main road, which is saturated with tourists and hooky popular culture. I felt like I found a little piece of magic where even though I struggled to order mushrooms, the woman in her vegetable stand still spoke the same language as me.

(thanks to Jay Cagney for the picture)

The market has small restaurants that are small stands with bar stools where everyone is talking. It adds to the vibrant culture that engulfs you as you enter. But off the beaten path a little, there was a small restaurant that we ate breakfast at two days in a row. One of my favorite things to eat there was Tortilla Espanol, which is a Spanish potato and onion frittata. With this, I give you a little piece of my Spanish adventure:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 lbs white potatoes (you can also use red here) peeled and sliced thin

1 onion sliced and diced

6 to 8 eggs beaten

Glaze a pan with olive oil, and add potatoes on medium heat. Stir frequently for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. Remove the potatoes, and add the onions to cook until they are a bit brown. If needed add oil to the onions as they cook. Add the onions to the potatoes with some salt and pepper. Pour the eggs into the mix.

Wipe the pan out, and add oil to coat the pan. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, and pat down any layer that sticks up (specifically the potatoes). Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until the eggs are golden. Flip the omelet onto a plate, slide it back into the pan to cook the other side, and allow it to set for a couple of minutes.

You can customize this to your liking, but I really enjoyed the simplicity of this with a wonderful cup of coffee. I would suggest Rosemary or some cheese as possible additions. I'm currently obsessed with Gruyere. I put it in everything.

Music to wake up and cook to. Thanks to my Spanish friends for introducing me to some new tunes:

BBQ: The Vegetarian/Vegan Edition

I get a feeling of calm and accomplishment from cooking. I sometimes forget this. For about a month, I ate out and felt stressed regularly. I continued to say that I did not have time to cook with such a busy schedule, but then a friend of mine passed on some wise words. She said, no matter what, cooking gives her a sense of calm. She turns her computer off and takes a break to drink some wine, listen to music, and cook dinner. This is my favorite way to unwind at night. There is nothing more relaxing than throwing on some sweet tunes, opening up a new bottle of wine, and letting the magic begin.

I have a couple of recipes that I have been dieing to share. If you know me, I'm very bad at holding my excitement in. I tend to let it all explode out, but I'm working on it, and I will gradually disseminate the recipes I have recently discovered. To begin, here is my favorite of the bunch. These are vegetarian, but they can be vegan if egg substitute is used. I'm so excited about these burgers that just about everyone I know, knows about these:

Southwestern Black Bean Burgers

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

dash of ground black pepper

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

1 cup grated carrots

1 fresh chile, minced, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 cup orange juice

1 cup ground tortilla chips (ground these in a food processor until they are similar to coarse meal)

2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large egg, lightly beaten (or egg substitute)

Preheat the oven to 375.

Put onions over medium heat on a warm skillet for about five minutes. Add cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper and cook until the onions are soft. Add mushrooms, carrots, chiles, and orange juice, lower the heat to medium, cover and cook with occasional stirring until veggies are tender. This should take about eight minutes.

While the veggies cook, combine tortilla chips, beans, and egg in a bowl. Mash them together or pulse in a food processor. Drain the veggies and stir them together with the bean mixture. From this mixture form six patties, and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the patties are firm and lightly crusted.

Nutritional Facts:

Calories 252

Protein 13g

Carbs 41g

Dietary Fiber 13g

Total Fat 5g

Cholesterol 36mg

Sodium: 847 mg

These are the perfect substitute for a hamburger or turkey burger. In fact, they taste just as good, but leave you without the greasy heavy feeling. You feel a sense of full until later in the day because of the black beans, which is always good to scare away the sweet tooth that seems to suddenly appear right before bed. I had left overs and ate them over fresh salsa the next day.

Music to grill to:

Another thanks to Moosewood Restaurant for this recipe. I have yet to go wrong with this fabulous cookbook.

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

Since summer has begun and classes are no longer in session, I spend my work days at home. I've saved a lot of money on random snacks, but have increasingly spent money on coffee. My coffee habit has gone from insane (six shots of espresso/day) to moderate (three cups of coffee/day). But getting out of the house seems priceless. However on a Starbucks budget, that means spending the hard earned dough. There is nothing like a Starbucks to make a coffee addict feel a false sense of inspiration and real sense of cliche: the struggling writer sitting at a coffee shop waiting and yearning for the big break. So, to give myself the same pick me up with a lesser impact on my wallet, I went to Home Goods and picked up Starbucks houseblend for $6.99.

I got home and quickly pulled out my Mr. Coffee machine. I looked intently down at it until I realized, I have no idea how to use this thing. It's true. I've been an avid coffee drinker since graduate school, and I have never brewed a cup of coffee myself. However, I could not let technology dominate me. I mentally fought with it, but soon figured it out. The battle had been won, and my kitchen began to swell with aromas of freshly brewed coffee. After letting it cool, I put it into the fridge. This is important because coffee can become bitter if you ice it right away. I was pleased with my end result, but I'm a coffee snob. I wanted to find new challenges and better flavors. And so, the coffee challenge began.

After my days worth of coffee brewing, I found another brew process; I am convinced that the 12 hour wait is worth it. I did a taste test. After taking a sip of this coffee followed by a sip of the traditional iced coffee, the lack of bitterness is evident. It's wonderful. For those of you that read this blog for the mouth watering effect, but lack cooking skills, this is the recipe for you:

1/3 cup ground coffee
1 1/2 cups water.

Pour the grinds into the water, and allow to sit covered at room temperature for 12 hours. Put the mixture through a strainer twice; I used coffee filters. This makes a coffee concentrate. Fill a container with equal parts coffee concentrate and water. This is the fun part because you can really taste test the strength of your coffee. Now go out, grab your iced coffee, and take a walk on the wild side.

Music to brew to:

Summer Lovin'

There is something both beautiful and equally frustrating about working for yourself. I can take off whenever I want, sort of. If that were true, I'd never be in my office (otherwise known as the kitchen); but what also comes with that sort of mentality is this guilty feeling of sitting inside while it's beautiful outside. So, for a little bit of time, I sit outside taking care of my garden. The tomato section is looking wonderful; I have two baby tomatoes that I inspect daily. I'm most proud of my small herb garden. It consists of Dill, Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary, Basil (two big pots), Chives, Mint, and Lavender. With these herbs, I've made my a plethora of foods. Each time I make them, I continuously repeat, "This is made with herbs from our garden," with increasing excited intensity each time the words pour from my lips. I'm like a mother watching my children grown.

As I continue to search for recipes, my focus is on eating locally; you cannot get more local than your backdoor. Two days ago, I made the Dill Shrimp Salad that I posted last summer. My dill gave me an extra zing of pride, which, though completely mental, created an extra satisfying flavor to the meal. I thought, "how could I possibly top that." The answer came in two huge pots overflowing with mature basil leaves: PESTO!

Pesto is pretty simple, and there are tons of variations. However, this pesto is both delicious and economical because it substitutes pine nuts with shelled pumpkin seeds. These are cheap and accessible in your local grocery store. Additionally, the fresher the ingredients are the better the pesto will taste. Pesto is great because it exists as a dip, spread, and a pasta topping. It also keeps well in the freezer. Plus how much fresher can you get than right outside the back door! Picking the basil leaves was probably the most exciting part of this pesto. I threw it over some sliced zucchini, mushrooms, and tri color pasta. Thank you to Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health for this delicious flavorful combination of basil and tomatoes. It is much different than any basil I've had before, and for that I'm thankful.

Before I give away my secret recipes, I have to note that there is nothing better than good wine and great music to set the cooking juices and inspiration flowing. I've decided to add a music while you cook segment to this blog:

I make sure to crank it loud, sing, and dance while I stir. It's my not-so-secret ingredient for anyone that lives with me or who I've shared a cooking experience with. You can take the instrument from the girl, but the music will forever live in her heart. Shake it like a salt shaker, right?

Pepita (Shelled Pumpkin Seeds) and Tomato Pesto

Yields: 1 3/4 cups

Time: 20 Minutes

1/2 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1/3 Cup Shelled Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)

2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped (I threw in three because my garlic was not super fresh)

1/3 Cup Olive Oil or Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 Packed Cups Fresh Basil Leaves

1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Tomatoes (The freshness of the tomatoes is important because it gives it texture and flavor)

1/4 (or two cranks of my sea salt grinder) teaspoon salt

Generous Dash of Ground Black Pepper

In a small pan bring to a boil the sun-dried tomatoes covered with water (about 5 minutes). Drain and chop.

Throw everything into a food processor. Give it a swirl until everything is smooth or to your desired texture.

One serving = 2 Tablespoons

Calories: 81

Protein: 2G

Carbs: 3G

Dietary Fiber: 1G

Total Fat: 8G

Sodium: 84mg

This book is absolutely fabulous. I got it for Christmas, and have read it cover to cover as my mouth salivates. The tastes, smells, and calories/fat saved are worth the $24.99.

In the meantime, I'm working on my own Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Essential Oil, Mint Oil, Ice Coffee, and Green Tea Concoctions. My new website should be up soon (GGRoseOrganics.com) with options to purchase the lotion from my previous post, face mists, shampoo, but also will be the new home of my blog. In the meantime, eat your pesto hot or cold, but do not anticipate leftovers for long. I write this, as I just polished off last night's dinner, yum.

She Is the West Coast

It has been a long while since I have felt truely inspired, until now. I was in California, and it was feeding my soul like nothing I could have ever imagined. I woke up in the morning with no plans, but to simpy wander the streets and see where the wind blew me (literally, it was super windy). I found myself at coffee shops watching all types of people walk by; I liked to imagine their stories and what adventures have brought them into the city.

San Francisco has all of the wonderful things New York City holds with the free spirit of the beach community. I spent three days there, and there was a beautiful rooftop garden that I could see from my hotel. I feel that gardening is a natural progression from the healthy eating journey I began a year ago. I started to realize that as I was cutting lots of produce; I had lots of loose ends that I felt guilty throwing in the garbage. So about six months ago, I started a compost pile. I turned it a couple of times (imagine me, burberry rainboots and all, digging a hole and turning dirt. It IS as ridiculous as it sounds). I forgot about the pile when it was snow covered and cold, but as spring began to sprung, I uncovered it. Right before my eyes, I felt the most satisfying sense of accomplishment.

As Michael Pollan writes, "This heap of rotting vegetable matter looked more lovely to me than the tallest spike of the bluest delphinium. Right then I realized that, like it or not, I was an American gardener, likely to cultivate in the garden more virtue than beauty."

I accepted my fate and planted tomatoes as well as lavender in my small garden. I also started an indoor herb garden. It feels great to know exactly where my food is coming from (thank you to my roommates for watering my endeavor while I was on the West Coast). But it feels even more amazing to see the beautiful plants that I have created. It is an underrated sense of accomplishment.

My journey into California did not end with roof top gardens. I found measuring cups that I have spent a long time looking for:

I also bought matching measuring spoons. This reinvigorated my desire to make creations in the kitchen. After San Francisco, I spent time in Cambria looking at the ocean and exploring the love that fills my life (he knows who he is!). There is a wonderful coffee shop called Cambria Cappuccino. Old habits die hard, and no matter where I am, I find myself at coffee shops searching for the perfect cup of Chai Tea

It was a wonderful local spot; I bought a gorgeous hand crafted mug there. The Chai there was very good. After warming my stomach, I trekked to Yosemite, a four hour journey by car. But of course there was a wonderful detour: WINE COUNTRY! I could tell a lifetime of stories and descriptions about how I found the perfect air that filled my lungs there. However, I will keep it short and sweet, and allow you to experience it yourself one day. I spent time at Lu Cuvier. It was a wonderful spot with impeccable wine. Each wine was partnered with an appetizer, and thus I give you the food portion of this blog:

Savory Cheese & Rosemary Cookies

2 oz. blue cheese, softened

5 Tbsp. butter, softened (I used Smart Balance)

1/8 cup grated Parmesan

1 heaping teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary (I used dry because I didn't have any fresh rosemary on hand. I shutter as I say this).

¾ cup flour (I used Whole Wheat Flour)

Cream together butter, blue cheese, rosemary, and Parmesan. Add flour gradually and stir until combined and dough begins to form into a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a few times. Shape into logs about 1½ inches in diameter (or to desired diameter). Roll each up in waxed paper and put in the freezer. Chill for about an hour.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Once dough logs are well chilled, unwrap and slice into 1/8- to ¼-inch coins. If dough is still too soft to slice, return to freezer until ready. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes or until lightly golden around edges. Dough can be made and frozen for up to a few weeks. Wrap a second time in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Dough may need to rest outside the freezer for a bit before it is able to be sliced easily.

These are such a quick snack, and they are completely worth every second it takes to bake them (not that it is a long process, as aforementioned). Making these crackers and sharing them allows me to have a part of the West Coast in New Jersey. When I'm driving and I see the mountain ridge, I pretend I'm in California and that the ocean is just on the other side. One day, hopefully sooner than later, I will be there as a permanent fixture on the West Coast landscape. Until then, here's to dreaming...

No Poo Continues :)

No Poo (shampoo) continues, but I have a confession:

I chopped 12+ inches off of my hair and donated it to locks of love. When I got my hair cut, the stylist lathered my hair in shampoo. It was the ultimate guilty pleasure. But again my hair became super dependent on the sulfates. So, I'm back to no 'poo, but I've changed the recipe.

I mix 3 tablespoons of baking soda with a splash of water to create a paste.

Wash & Rinse. To create that shampoo scent add any type of essential oils. I really like mint in mine because it makes me feel clean.

If you have wavy, curly, or hair that knots easily, rinse it with 1 cup vinegar/1 cup water mixture. My hair is still getting used to it because I have thick hair. But if you don't have ridiculous Greek genes like me, your hair should be up to par by a week. It's a win-win: no harsh chemicals in your body and no feeding the shampoo companies money.

On another very exciting beauty related note, I started making my own lotion. I have suffered with dry skin every season change. It makes me a little nervous to be putting something that is filled with toxins onto the largest organ, my skin. Here's all you need:

1 1/4 Cup Hot Water

1/4 cup emulsified wax (you can buy this online or at some craft stores)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

24-36 drops of any essential oil you wish. I used lavender for stress relief.

In a mason jar, I combined the wax and olive oil. Then, I popped it into the microwave for about a minute (the temperature should be around 155 degrees).

While the wax and olive oil sat in the microwave, I filled another mason jar with the water. Once the olive oil and wax mixture was done, I put the water in the microwave for a minute. The temperature on this should read roughly 120 degrees.

The final steps are adding the drops to your olive oil mixture. Then, pour the water in the mixture; it should turn into a milky white color.

To finish this off, I pour the mixture into the now empty mason jar and let it cool down.

I must admit, I approached this project with some apprehension. I know how to cook, but I don't know how to cook up lotion - or so I thought.

Anyway, back onto what I do best - cooking up FOOD

More soup, more soup, I say..

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been a soup making addict. I'm trying to come up with healthy version of each soup, so the recipe making is taking some time. I have mastered, thanks to Rachael Ray in part, a very light Cherry Tomato Ravioli Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon EVOO

2 Pints Cherry Tomatoes

2 Cloves Garlic

4 Cups Chicken Stock (use veggie Chicken Stock to make this Vegetarian)

1 LB Fresh Ravioli (I used store bought frozen, but you can use whatever is in your house)

2 Scallions

1 Cup Torn Basil Leaves

1. In a large, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid, or a Dutch oven, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the tomatoes burst and a thick sauce forms, 15 minutes. Feel free to mash the tomatoes up with a potato masher.

2. Add the chicken stock and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the ravioli and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and scallions to wilt. The fun part about this is you can add whatever pasta you want. If you're a vegan and you don't want to have the dairy, add in plain pasta and thicken the broth up with a little bit of corn starch.

   
   

Hi, my name is Gabi and I'm a sulfate addict..

Well, hello hello...

I've started several new projects, most of which did not include updating my blog. This is all about to change because I have added several new components to my healthy living bag of tricks.

And so it goes....

It is important to understand food as your source of energy. Seeing your body as a temple that needs the most beneficial nutrients to be as beautiful and efficient is key to staying healthy. I believe a lot of people in the health food community believe this, but fall short of the bigger picture. You may began to ask yourself what I mean by this. Take, for example, your skin. It is the largest organ in our body, but we rub chemicals from soap, perfume, lotion, and many other things on it. After researching all of the harsh chemicals in these products I've decided two things:

1. I am no longer using shampoo (this journey has been hellish)
2. I'm making my own lotions

I currently use a half water/half vinegar rinse prior to washing my hair. Then, I use 1 tablespoon baking soda and 2 tablespoons of water to make a paste, which I use to wash my hair. I have hard water, which is a problem because hard water does not dissolve baking soda well; in fact, it has potential to create soap scum. That is why the vinegar rinse is important. As a general rule, a person should only wash his or her hair two to three times a week.

The verdict: I'm addicted to sulfates

Sulfates are synthetic detergents found in shampoos that make it foam and lather, like in the shampoo commercials. I love the lather and feeling of clean hair, so much so that when I think my hair is greasy, it puts me in a negative mood for the day. When I get home, I shower, lather, and feel like a million bucks. I am very particular about my hair being "clean," which is why this project is a nightmare.

So what's wrong with sulfates, you might ask..

According to David Steinman, from Healthy Living:

We have found very often the presence of sodium lauryl sulfate in a shampoo formulation is a "marker" for the use of other undesirable ingredients, including formaldehyde-containing preservatives (e.g., imidazolidinyl urea); possible cancer-causing wetting agents (e.g., cocamide DEA); and nitrosamine-forming agents (e.g., triethanolamine). Also, it should be mentioned that in Germany, where there is a concerted effort underway now to label cosmetics and personal care products as certified natural, formulations containing sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate cannot be so certified, reports Michael Wrightson, president of Logona Kosmetik.

Interestingly, sodium lauryl sulfate "is used around the world in clinical studies as a skin irritant," notes the journal. The publication expressed additional concerns:

• Carcinogenic nitrosamines can form in the manufacturing of sodium lauryl sulfate or by its inter-reaction with other nitrogen-bearing ingredients within a formulation utilizing this ingredient.
• Other studies have indicated that sodium lauryl sulfate enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs and brain from skin contact. This poses the question whether it could be a serious potential health threat from its use in shampoos, cleansers, and toothpastes.
• Still other research has indicated sodium lauryl sulfate may be damaging to the immune system, especially within the skin. Skin layers may separate and inflame due to its protein denaturing properties.
• Although sodium lauryl sulfate is not carcinogenic in experimental studies, it has been shown that it causes severe epidermal changes in the area it is applied, indicating a need for tumor-enhancing assays.
• Additional studies have found that sodium lauryl sulfate is heavily deposited on the skin surface and in the hair follicles. Damage to the hair follicle could result from such deposition.

Well my - that's enough reason for me to stop using shampoo. So, I'm very sad that my hair no longer lathers like the moaning women and men in Herbal Essences commercials. In fact, I'm only at the beginning stages of this experiment and my hair feels greasy. It's not cringe worthy like, "oh-my-gosh that girl totally does not wash her hair." It's more mental, and me being particular.

But, shampoo is a product that has no real purpose other than to make shampoo companies money.

The sulfates lather your hair, but the synthetic detergents merely strip your hair of it's natural oils. In turn, your hair freaks out, and produces extra oils to compensate for the stripped ones. Alas, the cycle begins again. Interestingly enough, the "lather, rinse, repeat" ideology is only for the soap companies to make more money. The more shampoo you use, the more money they make. Since I've been participating in this useless pattern for 26 years, my hair is going to take time to adjust. From what I've read, it takes about 2 weeks for your hair to get accustomed to not being stripped, so I'm willing to deal with greasy hair if it means protecting my skin and body.

My lotion tangent will have to wait for another update because I'm still working on it :) (Cliff Hanger, dun dun dun)..

Anyway, onto FOOD! Since the weather is getting a bit colder, I've been on a soup making craze. Here is one of my absolute favorites:

Vegetarian Chicken Tortilla (12 Servings)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 green pepper
• 1 medium sized yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 package of baby bella mushrooms
• 2.5 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
• 2 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (14 ounce) can black beans
• 12 ounces tortilla chips
• 1 cup shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the pepper, onion, garlic, mushrooms, cumin, and cook 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Mix in the tomatoes and chile peppers. Pour in the broth, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes.
2. Mix corn and black beans into the soup, and continue cooking 5 minutes. Serve in bowls over equal amounts of tortilla chips. Top with cheese and avocado.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 315 | Total Fat: 16.2g | Cholesterol: 12mg

[Enjoy]

Fall is in the air

I used to run through suburbia everyday for almost an hour. Six miles of manicured lawns, cracked sidewalks, and people driving to work. I've since traded my suburban status and moved to the beach. My runs are filled with salty mist, ocean air, and the beautiful mystery of the sea. The sounds and smells of the ocean are bitter sweet; as summer closes, leaves brighten up the fall sky with their glow of orange and reds. Still, I will forever be a summer baby (literally, my birthday is in June!). However, the wonderful tastes of fall, specifically pumpkin, compensate for the brisk air and jacket weather.

On the menu today:

Pumpkin Wheat Honey Walnut Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cranberry raisins
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (you can sub applesauce for a healthier version)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or line with paper liners. Place the raisins in a cup, and add enough hot water to cover. Let stand for a few minutes to plump.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center, and put in eggs, pumpkin, oil and honey. Mix just until the dry ingredients are absorbed. Drain excess water from raisins, and stir in along with the walnuts. Spoon into muffin cups so they are about 2/3 full.
3. Bake for 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan before removing from cups.

Thanks to All recipes for this awesome recipe. Though it's not verbatim, my version has a much better texture and is tastier :). However, I may be a biased!

Hello world - it feels good to be back!

Greek Orzo and Grilled Shrimp Salad

I've been a bit MIA in more aspects than one, and unfortunately my blog has become victim to this treatment. However, I have continued along my path, and in the spirit of summer, despite the rainy skies in New Jersey today, here is a great pasta salad recipe. It's so great, that I'm actually thinking about how much I would want to eat it RIGHT NOW!

Greek Orzo and Grilled Shrimp Salad

I substituted whole wheat pasta for this one to make it a bit cleaner, and I used a heavier pasta like penne because the Orzo seemed a bit mushy for my taste.

Tonight I'm going to experiment with a classic restaurant recipe, wish me luck :)

Cultural Identity, Consumerism, and Ravioli :)

As I have previously blogged, I hate running in the summer. The humidity, sweat, heat, I hate it all. I recently started getting chills, which significantly alarmed me. If you are a heat runner or just a runner in general, you should read this article. Here is a snip bit:

Goose bumps and chills occurring while exercising in warm, humid conditions are concerning symptoms. Evaporation of sweat is the main mechanism by which the body regulates the core temperature while exercising. When this system is not working well or is overwhelmed by heat stress, the core temperature will continue to rise. The high level of humidity during your race inhibited the evaporation of sweat, compromising the body’s cooling mechanism. Another factor that impedes the cooling mechanism is dehydration; this compromises sweat production. Even though you drank fluid at every station, the humidity could cause an even greater sweat rate than usual.

Onto the fun stuff:

FOOD!

I'm very good at eating three healthy meals a day. What I'm not so good at is healthy snacking. I rarely snack, and at dinner I find myself hungry. I would like to snack on cupcakes, chocolate cake, pistachio ice cream with peanut butter cups, and many other generally unhealthy options. But, snacks are important. They help you maintain energy and keep you full between meals, which decreases your chances of pigging out. I read this, which improved my ideas a bit.

Recipe of the day:

Tomatoes and Ravioli with Escarole.

My only suggestion is to use whole wheat ravioli if you can find it, or sub ravioli for delicious eggplant or grilled chicken to remove the excess carbohydrates, depending on your diet.

Side comment, but I love to BBQ. BBQs are traditional unhealthy, as I previously posted. My new favorite side to replace potato salad and pasta salad, is zucchini. Slice up a zucchini, and chop up garlic. Salt and pepper the veggies, wrap them in foil, and pop them on the grill. By the time your meats are cooked up, the zucchini will be super tender and delicious. Less calories, fat, and just overall healthier, but tasty side option.

Last thing I wanted to comment on, and I've been thinking about this for a while: The word diet is pejorative in our culture. In my opinion, companies like Jenny Craig and Nutri-system capitalize on this negative connotation be promising its customers with weights loss that occurs without changing your diet. Jenny Craig offers it's costumers "Jenny Cheese Curls," which closely mirror Cheetos. It's like a magic potion; a person can still eat crappy foods, with little nutritional value, but meet his or her desired weight.

The problem? The majority of these costumers gain weight back.

The reason? They never learn anything about nutrition. Instead of going on a diet, without the pejorative context, because I feel diet is truly a lifestyle choice, they sustain the negative diet connotation eating these "healthy" options of the same crap they were eating before. A person who wants to loose weight or eat healthier shouldn't be eating "Jenny Cheese Curls" or the "Jenny Anytime Peanut butter chocolate bar" as part of their diet plan; they should instead opt for apples, bananas, dark chocolate, nuts, and the list goes on. The only true way to maintain a healthy lifestyle is to learn the ropes and climb the mountain.

It makes me upset to think that companies capitalize on people's ignorance, and sustain our cultural identity as one that lacks nutrition as a key ideology.

Post Pig Out Plan

I find running in LBI to be one of the most inspirational times as a runner. Generally, I wake up at 7:30 and go for a halcyon run with little company from other people. But in the summer, people are outside more. In LBI there are few roads to run, and therefore lots of people; people watching is one of my favorite hobbies. What I find inspirational are the varying fitness levels holding the same keep-going fighting spirit. When I'm having a bad run, and I see this variety it picks me up. How can you not find inspiration in a marathon running jogging along a 75 year old power walker or a father pushing his children in a stroller while running? There are some familiar faces, but overall I love seeing people caring about themselves and stepping out in a healthy way regardless of their fitness level. It shows me that it is never to late to start a new journey. This is something we could all benefit from.

Moving on, last night did me dirty, from a healthy perspective. At one o'clock in the morning, I thought it was a good idea to eat chips, salsa, and a hamburger. In the event you find yourself in this position here are some Post-Pig-Out Tips. Post-Pig-Out never feels good. But, this is my favorite tip:

DO A REALITY CHECK
As full and heavy as you may feel, the numbers don't lie. It takes 3,500 extra calories to gain 1 pound of body fat. So unless you ate six slices of cake and drank eight glasses of wine, you're in the clear.

To recover from my post-pig-out, I want to start with a healthy breakfast. Pumpkin-Gingerbread Waffles is the perfect sweet treat without over indulgence. Hey, it's under 300 calories! The worst thing you can do is starve yourself post-pig-out. Start fresh and recharge. If it makes you feel better do a harder worker, but NEVER forsake food, ESPECIALLY BREAKFAST.

I'm a bit of a pumpkin-aholic. Anything and everything (minus cold pumpkin soup, yuck!) pumpkin, I love.

I find that, I'd rather eat like a pig in the morning at breakfast and gradually taper my meals in the day. It feels better to eat a salad for dinner after I've had these great waffles, as opposed to eating egg whites for breakfast and then chowing down on chips, salsa, and a hamburger at night (I only had a protein shake for breakfast yesterday, which I'm sure was a contributing factor to my late night pig-out). Though the obvious choice is to eat healthy throughout all meals, but honestly whose perfect? I love food and with that I know I'll never be super thin and super strict.

For me, food is about taste, pleasure, and sociability.

Good morning and happy Saturday :)

Beat the Heat & Shepherds Pie

I am a winter runner. The cold air hitting my lungs creates a refreshing surge throughout my body, and keeps me going.

I am NOT a summer runner. Whereas in the winter I run up to eight miles a day, in the summer I struggle to break two miles. It's frustrating, and an activity that calms me quickly begins to stress me out. To combat this hurtle, I found some weird tricks to beat the heat; the tips are from runners world.

Miami Ice: Steve Brookner of the Bikila Athletic Club in Miami came up with this idea while running the marathon leg of Ironman Arizona. "They had thin sponges at each aid station," he says. "So I took one and grabbed a couple of ice cubes." He put the cubes on top of the sponge, then put his hat on over both. As the ice melted into the sponge, it created a cool spot on his head and a nice trickle of water running down his neck.

The Tucson Cold Cap: Randy Accetta, president of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners and a 1996 Olympic Trials marathoner, keeps his head cool in the extreme heat of Tucson with his "cold cap." "I'll soak a baseball cap in water and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight before a morning run," he says. "An old baseball cap retains the moisture longer than the new technical hats."

The Badwater Bandanna: For years, Denise Jones puzzled over the best way to keep the competitors in the Badwater Ultramarathon cool. Finally, Jones--considered the "dean" of Badwater aid-station volunteers--came up with the answer: Lay a bandanna out in a diamond shape. Place a row of ice cubes in a horizontal line, just below one tip of the bandanna. Then roll it up "like a burrito," and tie it around your neck. "We've found that this is the best way to keep runners cool," she says. "It feels wonderful."

I am considering the Badwater Bandanna. The other seems a little silly. I hate running with hats on.

This is an amazing article about a heat running experiment. It's definitely worth a read. Here are some highlights:

During the hot run, my heart rate soared to 175, about 96 percent of my max. My temperature spiked to 103.5, close to the edge of heatstroke, which can potentially occur when your core temperature reaches 104.0. My lactic acid climbed above 4.0, the point most physiologists define as the lactate threshold where the leg muscles no longer function efficiently. And my plasma volume contracted by more than 10 percent, which, coupled with a 2.6 percent total dehydration, forced my heart to work harder to push blood to my legs. All this at a pace I considered comfortable. If I had run much longer or harder at 90 degrees, it's possible that I could have staggered into heat illness, the precursor to the heatstroke hurt zone.

Now onto the good stuff:
Recipe of the day:
Turkey Shepherds Pie with Scallion Mashed Potatoes

Anytime a comfort food has a healthy option, I'm happy. This one is worth a try!