new site and new domain (thanks to a very generous little designer) and some new food insights

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Getting myself hyped about raw again means trying some new and awesome dessert recipes. I had a dream about making raw tiramisu and the next day did a quick search and found this neat recipe.
I had to make a couple changes because I couldn’t get all the ingredients right away. For the “Cream Layer” instead of coconut meat and soy lecithin, I improvised by adding finely ground pecans to thicken it up. I also forgot to do the layering and so only had two layers, instead of four, as you can see from the photo. I froze it overnight, couldn’t cut through it, so put it in the fridge, cut a piece to get the picture, then drained off the excess liquid that had pooled and stuck it back in the freezer. Then back in the fridge. I don’t know if any of the back and forth matters, but in the end, it lived in the fridge and was DE-LISH! It lasted for about a week before being offered to, and gobbled up by, the roomies.

There have been many diets, many attempts to find the perfect combination in a diet (ideal weight management, energy, overall sustainability), and I am only one person definitely not claiming to know the solution. After 4HB (Four hour body, or the “slow carb” diet coined by Tim Ferriss), my body and my psyche rebelled. There was absolutely no sustainability there. I couldn’t even fathom another lentil or egg. My inclination was towards macrobiotic: simple, whole grain rice, umeboshi, seaweed and sesame. I healed my very sensitive stomach eating like this for about a week. Since then, I was charged to find a more manageable solution to lose the ten pounds I had gained while doing slow carb. My conclusion? As a small figured woman, you DO have to count calories. Ferriss really missed the mark on this. If I consume “as much pure protein and vegetables as I want,” I WILL gain weight. I don’t know why. Maybe I am like that little fat rat in the lab that had his hypothalamus all screwed up by the guys in lab coats. All I know is I need boundaries. I can eat 2500 calories in a day without batting an eye. I will then proceed to gain a pound a week, as my BMR only requires about 1200 calories.

My next attempt was calorie management. Simply calories in vs. calories out. I think it works pretty well for me. I had to really get myself more sensitized to being “just” sated, as opposed to eating until my brain registered “full” (which could happen a second serving of pasta later). I got one of those calorie tracker apps for my iphone and just started counting everything. It turned out, 1400 calories meant I was a little hungry all the time for the first week. Then my body got used to the restriction and I was actually pretty happy with consuming at this level. After about 4 weeks, I had lost 3 pounds and was able to lay off the counting. I was more able to sense what portions were the right amount of calories. The really MAJOR change that I made was to low-fat and reduced calorie foods. I have NEVER been a skim milk girl. In fact, I have been a very loud advocate of whole fat dairy products, assuming they are more close to the “natural” thing. But trying to keep to 1400 calories a day is really tough when you want quantity over quality. So I caved and got the “reduced calorie” Caesar dressing; the low-fat sour cream; the 5 calorie jello snacks. I even substituted turkey bacon and boneless, skinless (shock!) chicken breast. I have never done these things. My girlfriends, perpetually on diets, always seemed to go for these and I would just laugh and shake my head. After about 6 weeks, I did lose 5 pounds, without increasing my physical activity at all (I was walking about 5km a day, as I always have).

This diet was a temporary solution though. In my heart, I am an all-natural girl. I want real food that has as little negative impact on living beings and the environment as possible. Now, I still am not claiming I know what diet that would be, but I am currently avoiding meat and dairy, for the most part. I am still eating all things from the sea, and the occasional slice of cheese. I find that after eating, I am hungry sooner than when I was eating a lot of meat, but it’s cool. I actually have gotten more comfortable with being hungry and it is definitely preferable to being stuffed and uncomfortable.

We will see how this pans out. Morally and conscientiously, I feel better not eating meat. If I had the means to consume only happy, free-range, pastured, grass-fed animals, then yea, maybe. Right now, that is not reality and I would rather consume more vegetables, fruits, nuts and beans than lesser-quality animal products. What do you think? Which way of eating is the most appealing for you?

After very little deliberation, I am considering going back to a more raw/vegan diet. I am on Day 36 of the Slow Carb "lifestyle" (from 4 Hour Body by Tim - 4HB) and have not seen the results that he promises. I went into this diet four weeks ago in hope of fitting into some business suits that I haven't worn in nearly 5 years. Since winter began here in Toronto, my daily physical activity has greatly diminished added to the fact that I began working a "sitting" job (read: in front of a computer) again. Although I have followed 4HB to the T, I have not lost one pound or inch. Zilch. Considering this was my main goal, I do not see it as being a "successful" diet for me. That is not to say there haven't been *any* benefits. I have seen marked improvement in my overall energy (drinking MUCH less caffeine), and fewer instances of blood sugar fluctuations that used to plague me (ie. plummeting blood sugar followed by faintness), so that's been nice. But not nice enough to make up for the fact that fastidiously following this diet has not made ANY noticeable difference in me fitting those suit pants over my ass. Plus, as of the last week, I have found my appetite for meat and beans waning (surprise, surprise) and my craving for fruit and sugar skyrocketing. In the past when I was eating 70% or more raw vegan, I wasn't drinking much caffeine, was exercising regularly, and was as fit as ever. And I was not disgusted by the idea of eating. Hmm. I am pretty much thinking I have to go with my gut - haha - and do what feels right. The only reason I ever started eating cooked food and meat, in particular, was because it suited me socially and I was cold. Now that Spring is in the air, I am confident that I could begin to implement more raw meals without the worry of internally chilling myself (see Chinese Medicine). If in keeping my current level of activity and switching to 70% raw again I am able to fit into those suits, then I can definitively say that it just works for me to eat that way, even if I wouldn't recommend it for everyone.

...
next posts will include menu samples for reference

I was reading Four Hour Body Couple's blog a few weeks back and was kind of discouraged by this post (http://www.fourhourbodycouple.com/2011/02/22/kat-another-try/) wherein Kat essentially gives up 4HB because of stomach acid.
Then, I had almost the exact same symptoms myself. It is week four, day 29, and I didn't eat dinner last night. I had my usual breakfast: whey isolate powder blended w water right after rising; two hardboiled eggs w spinach and lentils an hour later. I had tea in the morning and a half cup of coffee after getting in to the office. By 10am, I thought I was going to be sick. My entire stomach was on fire and I had a touch of the feverish feeling that precedes puking. I reread Kat's post and how she had to eat bread to soak up the excess stomach acid. I figured breaking the diet was better than going home from work, so I got a toasted bagel and ginger ale (huge no-no, I know). Afterward, I felt 100% better. 100%! I seriously felt like I was dying with the sharp shooting pains in my stomach, and felt immediately better after eating the bagel.
Perhaps it was the accumulate effect of not eating for too long (which always causes irritation for me), coffee (even in such a small amount) and the high protein breakfast, but man, oh man, having such an easy cure so quickly was a huge relief. I am certainly not going to start keeping bread and dairy products around though! I am pretty sure I just need to eat all meals to prevent the problem before it gets too bad.

It's week 3 of my experiment with Tim Ferriss' Four Hour Body. All I want is the cheat day every day. But I made a promise to myself that I would stick with it for six weeks, so onward soldiers...I haven't slipped once. The hardest time for me is the day AFTER the cheat day, when I am supposed to be eating pure and I am still in "eat everything and anything" mode from the day before. I found that mid-week, I really want something delicious. None of this bland hardboiled eggs and beans out of the can, but something flavorful so that I don't even feel I am "restricting" myself. At night, I have been trying to make two or three times as much food so that we can have leftovers for breakfast. Last night I made a highly decadent, mostly pure, dinner that is turning out to be a fantastic "get me through til cheat day" breakfast. It was so good, I even forgot to douse it in hot sauce!

Ingredients are all on my staples list, and organic where possible:

Onion, sliced into rings

Fresh Mushrooms, sliced (I used 6)

Canned whole tomatoes

540ml canned lentils, drained & rinsed

Butter! (not sure if this is acceptable, but dammit, I need it!)

Eggs

Frozen spinach

Salt & pepper

Steak seasoning

Balsamic vinegar

Red wine

Dried herbs

Minced garlic (from a jar)

Preparation: In a skillet on med-high, throw in a pat of butter. Once starting to brown, add onion rings. Sauté 5-7min until translucent and starting to brown. Add sliced mushrooms. Keeping heat med-high, as the mushrooms start to wilt and add a few dashes of balsamic. While that's going, in a sauce pot over med heat, warm rinsed lentils. Add 4-5 whole tomatoes from the can and a couple tablespoons of the liquid tomato juice. Break up the tomatoes with a fork. Back to the mushrooms & onion mix. Keep stirring! Add some steak seasoning and pepper. Maybe a dash of sea salt. Not too much if there is salt in your steak seasoning. Add a teaspoon of the garlic. Stir well.

Don't forget to stir the lentils! Now take some of the onions that are browning and add them to your pot of lentils and tomatoes. Add some dried herbs (I used basil, sage, marjoram, whatever was in the spice rack, parsley), a splash of wine, a hearty pat of butter. Stir well and keep heat at a low simmer.

Once the mushrooms are all soft and dark, and the onions are caramelized, toss them into a bowl and set aside. In either the micro or stovetop, prepare the frozen spinach according to the directions. Should only take 4 minutes. Make sure your lentils are on super low at this point. Once the spinach is heated thoroughly, throw it into a wire strainer. Not a colander for spaghetti, mind you, but something with very fine mesh. Toss it about until no mo water seeps through. Set aside. In your skillet, add a hearty pat of butter and crank heat back up to med high.

As the butter starts to brown, crack in as many eggs as you want. I made two (6 grams protein each). Let them fry up undisturbed for 3 minutes. Add a sprinkling of steak seasoning, or whatever you have on hand. Salt and pepper are fine! Once the edges of the eggs are browning and crispy, get your flipper and rinse it. Without drying it, work it under the eggs. This will prevent them from sticking. When the eggs are done how you like (cover the skillet if you like them "over hard"), grab your plate, Serve yourself a heaping portion of the lentils, topped with the fried eggs. Next to that add a spoonful (or the whole lot) of fried mushrooms and onions. Put the drained spinach on the side. Throw a pat of butter on that spinach with salt and fresh ground pepper. Frozen spinach is nasty without butter, I mean, c'mon!

And viola! Not too shabby for beans and eggs and spinach.

Maybe it's how treacherous August always seems to be; maybe it's because of my birthday; I am in love with Fall. As soon as the air bites briskly, when the scent of the city hints of crinkly leaves and smokey fireplaces (as opposed to the summer standard of rotting garbage and death) that's when my senses come alive and I want to create again.

Classically, all my innovations have spawned in the autumnal months. Once again, it is November and I am eager to create. All signs and doorways seem to be leading toward one direction: healing. Specifically, holistically healing through nutrition and naturopathy.

If I am on the correct path, I know it will be clear. The Universe provides.

I am currently working on a project that is mainly using internet marketing, meaning 8+ hours per day on blogs, twitter, facebook, and the like. Yikes. Unfortunately this means the last thing I want to do when I am not working is spend more time on the computer. So, while I may have a post here or there, I will probably be MIA for a bit until the new site is up and running. If you're interested it's a really neat project, and I would be happy to tell you all about it. But not on my food blog.

We've all been there: it's 1am and you've had a few drinks and you're craving the richest, most decadent chocolate dessert ever created and all you have are a coupla unsweetened chocolate bars and that Aero bar from Halloween (yuck).
Dilemma solved: Easiest ever brownies - "based" on recipe from "Baker's Chocolate"

Ingredients:
4 squares Unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F
Grease your baking pan. I used an 8" x 8"
Melt chocolate and butter.
Stir sugar into melty chocolate until well blended. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
Stir in flour, baking powder and nuts.
Spread in pan.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
(optional version, for increased chocolate indulgence: Cheesecake it! That is, after about 26 minutes baking at full temp, turn your oven off, but leave the brownies untouched. Remove after 10 minutes, or so. A toothpick inserted should be nearly clean, but not completely. Let cool. Then enjoy the easiest decadent brownies :)
Calories per pan: millions, but it's 2am and you don't really care that much anyway.

I'll admit that it is very hard for me to get turned on about cooking when I am by myself, which partially explains the immense joy I get out of preparing meals with loved ones. For the next 2 weeks, my partner is on set shooting a movie 12 hours a day. I realized very quickly that I have to eat SOMEthing during that time, yet I have no inclination or taste for anything that requires preparation. I've been mostly sticking to toast and apples, and focusing on making a really fantastic meal for us to enjoy when he gets home. And, no, apples and toast apparently are not satisfactory for my dietary needs. Then I tried the Cashew Ginger Carrot soup and spinach pictured. So easy and super yum! I put a handful of spinach in the soup and heat it up. Then added some black pepper and chili powder and sriracha (my fav condiment). It was stellar. With toast ;)