healthy eats Archives - Page 2 of 3

Craxy Week 2: Recap

January 28, 2012 Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

Crazy Sexy Diet, 21 Day Cleanse: Week 2

Jamisen and I are juicing. He loves it!

Craxy Week in Review

Can you believe that we are almost three quarters of the way through our journey? Eight more days to go and I hope you all are feeling as revved as I am. This week has been GREAT! I can’t believe we have over 50 participants involved in the cleanse now. It has been amazing to hear inspirational and encouraging words from all of you. Here in the BB office, we are all feeling happier, more energetic and even slimmer. Weight loss is one of the lovely side effects to our nutrition reboot. It’s almost impossible NOT to lose weight when you cut out sugar, alcohol, dairy and gluten (wheat). Though we are on our “cleanse high” we do have to keep our long term goals in mind. I would really love to hear some of your plans, tips and goals for after the 21 days. [Read more…]

A Birthday Dinner Without Sugar

January 23, 2012 Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

We’re officially into Week Two of Crazy Sexy Diet Cleanse. Woooooo HOOO! And in our office, all of us made it through Week One with **no** slip ups. We are so lucky to have each other to cheer us all on AND to peer-pressure us into staying on the straight and narrow. There’s something to be said for being inspired by others’ successes. I am sending out daily updates to our email group of virtual cleansers with recipes, experiences and support. If you’re missing those emails, be sure to post and let me know and I’ll get you on for the last 14 days of this great experience. The most positive part about the entire first week? I have found *so many* amazing vegan and gluten free blogs online with inventive and interesting recipes. This week has got me back in the kitchen and excited to be there!

Dad’s Birthday Dinner

I had a fun challenge this weekend. It was my Dad’s birthday (happy birthday Dad!). I wanted to make him a fabulous birthday dinner but needed to do it vegan, gluten free AND sugar free. Holly in Customer Service is doing the Crazy Sexy Diet Reboot with us (and she’s been incredibly inspiring to do it with – I love her exuberant attitude!). She had a great suggestion: poached pears! Voila, my Crazy Sexy Vegan No Sugar Poached Pear recipe below! [Read more…]

Craxy Week 1: Recap

January 21, 2012 Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

Craxy Week in Review

It has been nearly a week on the Crazy Sexy Diet 21 day Cleanse and we are over 20% of the way through. I have been sending out daily e-mails to everyone who signed up to join me on this journey. Let me know if you want on the mailing list by emailing craxy(at)brambleberry(dot)com. For those of you not on the mailing list, here are some highlights from the week including this weeks findings, recipes, motivations and challenges.

Motivation, Love and Support

Group support has been awesome! Six people here in the office are doing this cleanse along side me as well as a bunch of you. It has been great to chat about recipes, how we are feeling and keep each other motivated and accountable. It has also been fun to find really nifty blogs with people who are doing juice cleanses like Fred Dursts (lead singer of Limp Bizkit) is on a juice fast. Fred gives a really honest perspective of his experience. My current blog crush is Healthy Happy Life, which has a ton of recipes, reviews & videos. One of the biggest things to remember is…YOU CAN DO THIS, WE CAN DO THIS.

For extra motivation I created a Pinterest Crazy Sexy Diet Vegan Board to share exciting new recipes and ideas. Don’t you just love Pinterest?

Jeanee from Dirty laundry emailed me this week too and was just the refreshing burst of energy that I needed. Check out her super cute blog post on her gluten free bread here. It looks like she’s been combining a couple of different recipes from the Crazy Sexy book to make her own fabulous creation. You definitely have to get creative on a diet like this to stay sane. Thanks for the pick-me-up, Jeanee!

Here are this week’s recipes

Spicy Peanut Ginger Kale Salad

Hidden Cashew Ranch Dressing

Spiced Pear Smoothie

Simply DD Buddha Bow

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups wild rice
3 1/4 cups vegetable stock, low sodium
1 carrot, grated
handful or so fresh cilantro, chopped
4-5 large leaves collard greens, stems removed and chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 bag frozen peas
1/4 bag frozen corn
olive oil
coconut aminos (optional)
raw olives, chopped (optional but add great taste!)

Directions: Cook rice in the stock until done, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the beans, peas, corn, and collards. Top the bowls with cilantro, carrot, and olives. Drizzle on olive oil and coconut aminos to your liking. Easy, yes? The leftovers are wonderful too. The possibilites are endless, so feel free to get creative or keep it simple like this recipe. You basically just want a gluten free grain, topped with raw and/or steamed vegetables and add a couple flavors and textures to the top like olives, avocado, bell pepper, carrot, etc.

Remember

With any change comes some challenges. Mine has been lack of energy and some food cravings. I have found that being prepared is the key. Have snacks packed and healthy ingredients on hand with recipes that set you up for success has been extremely helpful. Making the choice to think about what you are putting in your body and having your goals in your mind at all times is big. This reboot is all about cleansing not only your body but getting focused on your total wellness mind, body and soul.

Crazy Sexy Reboot Starts Today

January 16, 2012 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

I’m excited! The Crazy Sexy Reboot starts today and I’ve already juiced up my juice breakfast (see below for recipe and see above for one big fan of the green delicious juice and yes, for the record, the black kale can and will stain). I’m ready to eat my Tofu Eggless Salad on Gluten Free bread for lunch. Tonight, I’ve got a Thai faux-Peanut sauce vegetable with Quinoa already prepped. It should be delicious!

It’s Day 1 and we’ve got about 25 virtual participants joining us. I’ll be sending out emails frequently with fun recipes, support and good cheer. If you’d like to be in on the emails, just ask in the comments and we’ll get you added. [Read more…]

Jamisen’s First Food

October 8, 2011 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

My parents fed me ice cream at 3 weeks old for my first food so in keeping with the inappropriate dairy choices for children, we are keeping that magic alive with Jamisen’s first food taste.

Behold … whipped cream!

[Read more…]

Blueberry Almond Smoothie

August 21, 2011 Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

Guest post by Amber from Bramble Berry

I am a smoothie fanatic. I love them and have one nearly everyday! And I love when I find a new combination that just hits the spot. This one was suggested to me by a dear friend and I just had to try it. Conveniently, I had some homemade almond milk on hand (Learn to make your own here). Please keep in mind I don’t measure anything when I make these – so the amounts are approximate.

[Read more…]

Raw Carrot Cake (food recipe)

August 8, 2011 Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

I can’t believe that Courtney has been with Bramble Berry for 3 years now . Happy Bramble’Versary, Court! It feels like she’s been here forever (in a good way)! Time really does fly when you’re having fun. Courtney and I are both competitive health nuts, so I can’t make her the standard Bramble’Versary cookies or cupcakes. I had to make her an insanely healthy Faux Carrot Cake recipe that I found from Gone Raw. A note to the skeptics: These are amazing. Honestly! The entire warehouse loved them and Courtney was a happy camper too!

[Read more…]

Making Almond Milk with Amber

July 25, 2011 Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

Guest post by Amber from Bramble Berry

Last year Anne-Marie discovered the joys of making milk from Almonds and I thought it sounded easy and fun and really wanted to try it. Of course, it took me nearly a year to do it – but now I can’t wait to make another batch! I just use it like I would regular milk; in my tea, smoothies and cereal (Captain Crunch and almond milk? Heaven!).

[Read more…]

It’s Healthy Living Week!

June 1, 2010 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

Regular readers and Twitter followers (shout-out to my tweeple!) know I strive to live a healthy life with my eating, supplements and exercise habits (though, I do succumb to cupcake failures fairly routinely). Twice a year, I do an extra super duper effort to eat perfectly clean (last year, I did the full Fat Flush program. That was hard!) For this bi-yearly Healthy Living Week, my accountability partner is Jody Bergsma (who posted about our Healthy Week on her FB page here. There was some good discussion, including sharing of smoothie recipes).

We’re doing a modified Fat Flush + Isagenix program. It’s pretty simple: no caffeine, no alcohol, very very limited oil, no sugar, no salt, 2 protein shakes per day and one ‘regular’ lean protein/veggie meal, 5 servings of low-glycemic fruits and veggies, ground flaxseed and copious amounts of unfiltered, unsweetened cranberry juice. In addition to the food choices, we’re doing a bunch of liver support herbs (like Milk Thistle, Dandelion Root) and cleansing tea infusions.

This is my go-to protein shake for the next week. It uses Jay Robb Whey Protein. I like Jay Robb protein because it has no artificial sweeteners or sugar, uses hormone free whey, and has a full 25 grams of protein (almost 50% of my recommended protein for the day).

1 scoop Jay Robb Whey Protein
6 oz. Strawberries or Raspberries
2 Tbs of Almond Butter
12 oz. cold water

Blend it all up – drink up. There’s 353 calories in the shake, 32 grams of protein and 2 grams of sugars.The Almond Butter adds 190 calories to the 110 calories in the protein powder so if you are trying to keep the calories light, skip the Almond Butter. Either way, it’s insanely healthy and filling. That plus a mid-day fruit or almond snack will keep you going until lunch.

Have a great week! If you want to join me and Jody on our Healthy Week, we’d love company.

Green Smoothies & You

August 22, 2009 Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

One of my dear friends, the indomitable Jody Bergsma (middle. Erin Baker is on the left), swears by Green Smoothies (or what she calls ‘Live Soup’) to keep her energy up during the day. She introduced me to ‘Live Soup’ in a big way during our Hawaii tripearlier this year and since then, I’ve tried different versions of it and come up with a perfect, phytonutrient pack of sustained energy. I drink this Live Soup daily. Daily! And swear that my energy is better because of it.

Jody’s strong belief is that if you don’t heat up the vegetables, they retain all of their essential enzymes. And, this viewpoint is backed up by science that proves cooking vegetables causes the vegetable to lose 30-50% of their nutrients and 100% of their minerals. The more raw you keep your veggies, the more healthy and enzyme-dense they are for you.

It’s a simple recipe and if you drink 16 ounces of this throughout the day with a few servings of lean protein, you will end your day feeling just as energized as if you had just your first cup of coffee.

Cut into manageable bits and place all of this in a blender:

1/2 Avocado

1 Tomato

Juice of 1 Lime (more lime is better)

Sprinkling of Salt

Sprinkling of Garlic Salt

1/2 Zucchini

1/2 Cucumber

6 ounces Spinach

8 ounces Water

Optional: 1 ounce fresh Cilantro

Blend all of this in the blender until smooth. The combination of the Avocado and Zucchini make for a smooth shake. If you don’t have those two ingredients, the green smoothe ends up splitting apart and becoming more like a really thick, strange blanket of green vegetable mush with water on the bottom.

The Avocado is a full 161 calories (or so). If you don’t include it, it’s literally an 82 calorie drink, chock full of natural fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants. If you do include the avocado, it’s 243 calories. I always include it because Avocados are a great source of healthy fats that nourish your body. To compare this to other drinks you might consume during the day:

Starbucks 16 oz. Caramel Latte 260 calories

Coke 12 oz. 140 calories

Vodka Tonic 200 calories

The Live Soup is chock full of good stuff – natural, fresh from the earth and essential building blocks for your body. Do yourself a favor and blend one up, drink it all day and have 2-3 clean protein servings (3 eggs, low fat yogurt, low fat swiss cheese, low fat Greek yogurt) during the day and you will be astounded at the energy you have. And, as a bonus, one serving of Live Soup plus three clean protein servings is very few calories (compared to a traditional day of eating) so you might lose a couple of pounds in the process.

Martha & Snoop Dog make Mashed Potatoes

December 18, 2008 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

In a most incongruous match-up, Snoop Dog made an appearance on a Martha Stewart Living segment where they make Mashed Potatoes. I think it came out pretty funny. Video is below.

The Athlete’s Palate – Or, Vegan Treats!

April 17, 2008 Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

I have an incredible team at Bramble Berry – I’m super lucky. And once a year, when different anniversaries of hiring dates roll around, I bake something for the lucky Brambleberrian and make sure to tell them extra well how appreciated they are. I try to tell them more than once a year but it’s nice to have one day just for you, ya’ know?

Today, it was our ‘Team Captain’ from Customer Service 2-year-Brambleversary and I made her Chocolate, Fig and Almond Bites. Courtney eats mostly vegan (no dairy at all) so finding a perfect sweet treat for her was a little nerve-wracking; luckily, she totally loved them. I’m not sure how the rest of the office felt about such a healthy snack (but for what it’s worth, I loved it too!). Here’s the recipe from my latest edition of Runners World. Let me know what you think if you try it!

Ingredients

3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used 72% chocolate from Trader Joes)

1/2 cup honey (I used organic honey from Trader Joes)

1/3 cup hottest possible tap water

Grated Zest 1 lemon

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt (I used Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 ounces dried figs, steps removed (finely choped)

8 ounces unbleached almonds, toasted and coarsely ground

Small or large muffin liners

In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate, honey, and tap water. Heat the mixture over moderate heat just until the chocolate melts. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the zest, salt, cinnamon, figs and almonds. Mix together.

Arrange the paper cases side by side on a baking sheet. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases, filling about three quarters full (about two teaspoons each). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up before serving. Makes about 72 pieces if you’re using small cupcake liners or about 22 if you’re using large ones. I know they look a little eh hem, unappetizing, but I promise you, delicious AND healthy.

Happy Brambleversary Courtney!

Nutrition Advice from my Dad

April 9, 2008 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

For those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health.

It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than British, Americans or Canadians.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than British, Americans or Canadians.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than British, Americans or Canadians.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than British, Americans or Canadians.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than British, Americans or Canadians.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink whatever you’d like.

Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Our dinner last night

September 8, 2007 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

I cooked this tasty healthy dish up last night. It was delicious with feta cheese and potato bread! Thanks to Dandelion Organic for the recipe and Anna’s Cool Finds blog for the photo.

Fassolakia me Kolokithakia Ladera:
Stewed Green Beans and Zucchini

A simple, delicious and very common summer vegetable side dish from Greece.This dish is described as “lathero” which means a dish with lots of olive oil.

1 pound of fresh green beans (can use purple beans)
¾ pound of small zucchini

¾ pound potatoes, cut in half or quartered if large
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large tomato, puréed (can substitute 1 small can diced tomatoes)
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
½ to 1 cup parsley chopped
3 tablespoons mint chopped, optional (add at the very end)

Snip the ends off the beans.Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut in half, crosswise.

In a sauté pan warm the oil and sauté the onions and garlic, sprinklingwith salt, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the beans, the parsley and toss for 2 minutes to oil them. Arrange the potatoes then zucchini on top of the beans in layers, sprinkle with salt and pour the pureed tomato over them.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or more, until potatoes and beans are cooked and most of the juices are absorbed. Do not stir but occasionally shake the pot. Check regularly and add a little water if needed.

Let the beans cool for at least 15-30 minutes before serving. “Fassolakia” are eaten hot or cold. They can be refrigerated and are equally tasty the next day. Serve with feta cheese and rustic bread