Now that we're all in the Lenten Fast, it is a good time for the below video with Father Moses of Holy Resurrection Monastery on incorporating fasting into the Christian diet. The video includes sections on fasting when one has special diet considerations such as small children, non-fasting spouses, and medical needs.
Showing posts with label About Me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About Me. Show all posts
Mar 9, 2009
Jan 6, 2009
Happy New Year! Let's feast!
Just in time for the feasts of Epiphany and Theophany is the below video with Father Moses of Holy Resurrection Monastery on incorporating feasting into the Christian diet.
Dec 19, 2008
Deceptively Simple
I'm not a big fan of sneaking small amounts of healthy foods into otherwise not-so-healthy foods as a way to feel good about eating a brownie or a pancake. Maybe it is because I eat the healthy foods on their own enough to be able to enjoy a nice thick piece of tiramisu for what it is without too many feelings of guilt. (That kicks in about the time I'm contemplating if anyone will notice my shaving a small amount off the side of each of the remaining slices.)
However, there are some simple additions that can be made to foods to help them taste better and to bring more nutrition to your plate. If you are wondering if you're getting all the nutrition you need, try some of these ideas. Then enjoy that piece of dessert without wondering if someone snuck spinach into it.
Breakfast:
If you're having cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, or waffles for breakfast, add fruit or nuts. Berries are particularly healthy, give you antioxidants (not just good for cleaning the laundry) and have some natural antibiotic benefits. Banana nut oatmeal or additional sliced almonds add a lot more than just taste.
Add peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and garlic to your ommelette. You wouldn't believe all of the immune-boosting nutrition these tasty foods add. If you're like me and have a slight aversion to mushrooms, dice them finely with a food chopper and you'll probably find them to be quite good in the mix.
If you usually have toast, try adding a nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, etc) and some local honey. The honey will help with any seasonal allergies you have since it desensitizes your system to the local pollens while the nuts will add protein and other good stuff.
Lunch:
You can buy pre-packaged baby spinach just about anywhere. It tastes like salad greens and is great on sandwiches. If you insist on lettuce, get the protein-rich romaine or another dark, leafy green. The lighter colored head lettuce has practically no nutritive value.
Don't forget to add some cold fruits and veggies. They'll help fill you up and satisfy the desire to crunch.
If you make enough dinner the night before, you can be the envy of the office or neighborhood by having a delicious, nutritious hot meal for lunch every day.
Dinner:
Add in more side dishes. If you have a little of all of them, it will give you more of the nutrition and you'll be too full to load up on the fat- and calorie-dense main dish. Then you'll have enough for lunch the next day!
Don't be afraid to let the family snack while you are making dinner. Put a veggie tray out and offer it to anyone who is looking for food (including yourself). If they fill up on carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, tomatoes and other good foods, it doesn't really matter that they eat a smaller portion of your cheese enchiladas, does it?
Dessert:
Add some frozen strawberries and pecans to the top of your small bowl of ice cream. Make fruit sorbets or smoothies.
Make fruit-based side dishes and instead of serving them with dinner, serve them as dessert. And don't underestimate the deliciousness of some fresh fruit next to some spiced freshly whipped cream (which you can make vegetarian or vegan).
However, there are some simple additions that can be made to foods to help them taste better and to bring more nutrition to your plate. If you are wondering if you're getting all the nutrition you need, try some of these ideas. Then enjoy that piece of dessert without wondering if someone snuck spinach into it.
Breakfast:
If you're having cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, or waffles for breakfast, add fruit or nuts. Berries are particularly healthy, give you antioxidants (not just good for cleaning the laundry) and have some natural antibiotic benefits. Banana nut oatmeal or additional sliced almonds add a lot more than just taste.
Add peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and garlic to your ommelette. You wouldn't believe all of the immune-boosting nutrition these tasty foods add. If you're like me and have a slight aversion to mushrooms, dice them finely with a food chopper and you'll probably find them to be quite good in the mix.
If you usually have toast, try adding a nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, etc) and some local honey. The honey will help with any seasonal allergies you have since it desensitizes your system to the local pollens while the nuts will add protein and other good stuff.
Lunch:
You can buy pre-packaged baby spinach just about anywhere. It tastes like salad greens and is great on sandwiches. If you insist on lettuce, get the protein-rich romaine or another dark, leafy green. The lighter colored head lettuce has practically no nutritive value.
Don't forget to add some cold fruits and veggies. They'll help fill you up and satisfy the desire to crunch.
If you make enough dinner the night before, you can be the envy of the office or neighborhood by having a delicious, nutritious hot meal for lunch every day.
Dinner:
Add in more side dishes. If you have a little of all of them, it will give you more of the nutrition and you'll be too full to load up on the fat- and calorie-dense main dish. Then you'll have enough for lunch the next day!
Don't be afraid to let the family snack while you are making dinner. Put a veggie tray out and offer it to anyone who is looking for food (including yourself). If they fill up on carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, tomatoes and other good foods, it doesn't really matter that they eat a smaller portion of your cheese enchiladas, does it?
Dessert:
Add some frozen strawberries and pecans to the top of your small bowl of ice cream. Make fruit sorbets or smoothies.
Make fruit-based side dishes and instead of serving them with dinner, serve them as dessert. And don't underestimate the deliciousness of some fresh fruit next to some spiced freshly whipped cream (which you can make vegetarian or vegan).
Dec 13, 2008
About the Labels
About Me: Posts with explanations or lengthy commentary.
Dairy-Free: The recipe has no dairy products or is able to use dairy alternatives such as margarine or nut milks.
Egg-Free: The recipe does not call for eggs or is able to use egg-free alternatives.
Wheat-Free: The recipe does not call for wheat or is able to use wheat-free alternatives such as spelt flour.
Gluten-Free: The recipe's whole food ingredients are free of wheat, rye, barley, and oats and I believe the packaged foods are able to be obtained gluten-free. You'll have to check individual packages to see if they contain gluten or cross-contamination.
Peanut-Free: The recipe's whole food ingredients are free of peanuts or peanut by-products or are able to use peanut-free alternatives, such as vegetable oil. You'll have to check individual packages to see if they contain peanuts or cross-contamination.
Tree Nut-Free: The recipe's whole food ingredients are free of tree nuts or tree nut by-products including walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts/filberts, pistachios, cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, Macadamia nuts, or chestnuts or are able to use a tree nut-free alternatives, such as soy milk. You'll have to check individual packages to see if they contain tree nuts or cross-contamination.
Soy-Free: The recipe does not call for foods with soy protein, but may have soy oil/soy lecithin or it is able to use a soy-free alternative such as rice milk.
Vegan: The recipe is free of all animal products and by-products including meat, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, poultry, and honey or is able to use a vegan alternative such as agave syrup.
Vegetarian: The recipe is free of all animals including meat, fish, shellfish, and poultry. All recipes here are safe for ovo-lacto vegetarians.
Abstaining: Many religions, such as Catholicism, Buddhism, and Seventh-Day Adventism, incorporate fasting and abstention from food in their teachings. All recipes here are appropriate for those religions which abstain in whole or in part from animal products. They are tagged as vegetarian.
Moderate Fast: Some religions, such as Hinduism, incorporate fasting and abstention from meat, fish, poultry, milk or eggs. While some might allow shellfish, no recipes here contain them. Recipes appropriate for moderate fasting are tagged as vegan.
Strict Fast: Some religions, such as Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism, incorporate days of fasting and abstention from meat, fish, poultry, milk, or eggs as well as from alcohol and olive oil. Those recipes labeled as "Strict Fast" do not contain these ingredients.
Dairy-Free: The recipe has no dairy products or is able to use dairy alternatives such as margarine or nut milks.
Egg-Free: The recipe does not call for eggs or is able to use egg-free alternatives.
Wheat-Free: The recipe does not call for wheat or is able to use wheat-free alternatives such as spelt flour.
Gluten-Free: The recipe's whole food ingredients are free of wheat, rye, barley, and oats and I believe the packaged foods are able to be obtained gluten-free. You'll have to check individual packages to see if they contain gluten or cross-contamination.
Peanut-Free: The recipe's whole food ingredients are free of peanuts or peanut by-products or are able to use peanut-free alternatives, such as vegetable oil. You'll have to check individual packages to see if they contain peanuts or cross-contamination.
Tree Nut-Free: The recipe's whole food ingredients are free of tree nuts or tree nut by-products including walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts/filberts, pistachios, cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, Macadamia nuts, or chestnuts or are able to use a tree nut-free alternatives, such as soy milk. You'll have to check individual packages to see if they contain tree nuts or cross-contamination.
Soy-Free: The recipe does not call for foods with soy protein, but may have soy oil/soy lecithin or it is able to use a soy-free alternative such as rice milk.
Vegan: The recipe is free of all animal products and by-products including meat, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, poultry, and honey or is able to use a vegan alternative such as agave syrup.
Vegetarian: The recipe is free of all animals including meat, fish, shellfish, and poultry. All recipes here are safe for ovo-lacto vegetarians.
Abstaining: Many religions, such as Catholicism, Buddhism, and Seventh-Day Adventism, incorporate fasting and abstention from food in their teachings. All recipes here are appropriate for those religions which abstain in whole or in part from animal products. They are tagged as vegetarian.
Moderate Fast: Some religions, such as Hinduism, incorporate fasting and abstention from meat, fish, poultry, milk or eggs. While some might allow shellfish, no recipes here contain them. Recipes appropriate for moderate fasting are tagged as vegan.
Strict Fast: Some religions, such as Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism, incorporate days of fasting and abstention from meat, fish, poultry, milk, or eggs as well as from alcohol and olive oil. Those recipes labeled as "Strict Fast" do not contain these ingredients.
About The Blog
Do you have a vegetarian dinner guest coming and no idea what to serve? Are you trying to eat a healthier diet and don't want to sacrifice on taste? Are you looking for fasting recipes other than bean burritos? Do you want to add more color or flavor to your plate, but don't know how? I'm happy to know that you're giving peas a chance!
All recipes here are free of meat, fish, shellfish, and poultry. Most are free of milk and soy (no marinated tofu here!), many are free of eggs, peanuts and tree nuts, and some are free of gluten, wheat, or other common dietary triggers.
I'm familiar with many special diets, but one of the many things in life I'm ignorant of is how to eat without sugar. About the only thing that will keep me from eating dessert first is a big serving of mashed potatoes and white gravy with a side of sweet tea. For diabetic-friendly food and other recipes to make your mouth water, I recommend the Fasting and Feasting blog of Father Moses.
All recipes here are free of meat, fish, shellfish, and poultry. Most are free of milk and soy (no marinated tofu here!), many are free of eggs, peanuts and tree nuts, and some are free of gluten, wheat, or other common dietary triggers.
I'm familiar with many special diets, but one of the many things in life I'm ignorant of is how to eat without sugar. About the only thing that will keep me from eating dessert first is a big serving of mashed potatoes and white gravy with a side of sweet tea. For diabetic-friendly food and other recipes to make your mouth water, I recommend the Fasting and Feasting blog of Father Moses.
Give Peas A Chance
I'm not a great cook. I wouldn't even consider myself a good cook. (I hear that most food critics aren't.) That's why I'm amazed at how much attention my food gets given that I don't consider it anything spectacular. Most vegetarians hear one statement when it is known that they don't eat meat: "What DO you eat?" Thankfully, people most often say that out of my earshot and I hear two other things. First is the sound of everyone sighing a collective breath of relief with the realization that no one's died from eating my vegetarian cooking and second is, "This is good!"
It seems that most omnivores aren't scared that it is my cooking that is going to kill them (which would seem to me the greater concern), but that eating a meal without meat will. So I've started this occasional blog to encourage omnivores to give peas a chance every once in a while, along with all the other delicious foods from the plant kingdom. Chances are, if it doesn't kill you, you'll find something good!
It seems that most omnivores aren't scared that it is my cooking that is going to kill them (which would seem to me the greater concern), but that eating a meal without meat will. So I've started this occasional blog to encourage omnivores to give peas a chance every once in a while, along with all the other delicious foods from the plant kingdom. Chances are, if it doesn't kill you, you'll find something good!
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