Sunday 9 December 2012

Foods For The Season

Cannot believe it is December already! 2012 has been a very exciting and eventful year. We set off with the purpose to inspire vegetarians, border line vegetarians and carnivores to eat dishes without meat products and to learn and teach that meat-free cooking can be delicious, full of flavour and most importantly, not miss the meat one bit! And looking back over the year we feel we have accomplished just that.

You may be a vegetarian or you may not be a full-time vegetarian, but there is definitely something to be said for cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients that give dishes full, bright and exciting flavors and the best part… that are nutritious!

I know majority of ua know what some of the season’s veggies and fruits are best enjoyed at certain points of the year, but sometimes our palet just knows and we don’t pay much attention to it. We just start to crave guacamole as soon as the season starts to turn warm, we love cherries and crave salads in the summer and lastly start to crave the root vegetables as soon as the temperature starts to change to be a little cooler.

I thought a good topic to focus on would be the winter seasonal veggies and fruit and mention a few from the other seasons as well.

You will notice that when something isn’t “in season” in the grocery store, it will normally be priced higher than it normally would at the time of the year that it is ripe and in demand at that particular season.

So what are the seasonal ingredients for winter?

Vegetables: Sweet potato, fennel, carrot, pineapple, olives, okra, kale, broccoli, celery root, leek, onion, turnip, pumpkin, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts

Fruits: Kiwifruit, pears, apple, navel oranges, lemon, mandarins

There are many more that fall under the winter season, but how about the other seasons?

I've just focused on a few from each category:

Spring: cherries, sugar snap peas, avocado, papaya, cucumber, beans, asparagus, lettuce, corn & bananas

Summer: eggplant, squash, peaches, radish, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, melons & mangoes

Fall: Figs, plums, bell peppers, cabbage, swiss chard, spinach, mushrooms, parsnip, sweet potato, apples, bananas & limes

Sometimes we lose site of that when we are buying ingredients in the grocery store, when we are inspired to make a certain dish with particular ingredients, it's good to be mindful of what ingredients are appropriate for each season, that way you will get the optimal flavour in your dish and also save a little in your wallet too.

Check out our recipe listed below for a root vegetable dish with crumbled goats cheese!

Happy Cookin!

Lyndsay & Laurie

Sunday 2 December 2012

Avoid The Nasty Cold & Flu's This Season

Oh boy that nasty cold and flu season is here and in full swing! I personally haven't taken a true sick day from work in a years. I tend to use 1/2 days if I am feeling something coming on, I come into the office to clear my desk and switch around any meetings and then I head back home. Some people may be offended by my actions, as I could be potentially harming others, however in the high volume stressful corporate world, taking a full day from the office is just not possible and because of the responsibilities jobs carry today we feel so guilty actually taking a full day away.

But this year I wasn't so lucky, I travelled this past week and sitting in the airplane all around me were sniffling, coughing adults and runny nose children walking up and down the isles to keep them busy and from crying. All I could think about was please do not let me get sick. I travelled both flights with my mouth covered by my overly large sweater that I always wear when I travel to keep from breathing in germs but this time it wasn't enough.

As the years pass, the germs get stronger and stronger and the colds and flu’s are much more dangerous and stay longer. This one lasted about 5 full days and went through many stages. So needless to say why I chose this topic for the news letter.

So some situations we are put it, we cannot avoid being subjected to germs, so how can we avoid getting a nasty cold or flu? Below are a few things that have been imbedded in my head year over year, and have worked pretty consistently for me:

Eat healthy foods and a well balanced diet, you want to eat foods that help boost your immune systems, so things like garlic and crushed cloves, and cheese believe it or not has a component of dairy fat that boosts your immune system, however once you have a cold you will want to avoid dairy all together because it increases mucus. Yogurt is another good food to add to our diet as a breakfast or a snack, as it has probiotics that keep our bodies full of healthy bacteria.
Eat lots of washed fruits and vegetables, beans and liquids, vegetable and tomato broths are great for our bodies. And try not to indulge in too much fast food, not only because the food is hard for our bodies to digest and break down but also because of all the germs floating around in a high volume fast food restaurant!
Wash your hands! Cannot stress this enough; literally wash your hands as much as you think of it, and keep a hand sanitizer in your car, purse if you’re a woman, at your work station, in your kitchen etc.
Keep antiseptic wipes close by. You wouldn't believe the germs that sit in things like your keyboard, mouse and telephone. Constantly wipe down your work station and kitchen to get rid of germs. Phone is a big one because we breathe while we speak and you’re breathing in germs from that last hand shake or use of a door handle.
In the bathroom, grab a paper towel before you use the tap, use it to turn on the tap and off, and also use it to open the bathroom door, most bathrooms have garbage’s our side of them or near by, just throw it out after you have left the washroom.
Take vitamins to aid your immune systems such as vitamin C and Zinc, there are many others that help. Also acidophilus is a probiotic that will help you year round and especially during this cold and flu season. Zinc can be found in peanut butter, so it’s really not something that you have to go out of your way to add into your diet.
Lastly, the obvious ones that we are told that generally keep us healthy are: exercise at least 30 minutes daily, get lots of rest - 8 hours at night, try and avoid stress (your B vitamins will help you with dealing with this) and lastly, try and avoid over consumption of alcohol and cigarettes.

I hope that you all stay healthy this winter season and if you do get hit with a nasty bug, rest & liquids are your best friends!

Have a fantastic month of December!! And try to remember some of these steps when you are at the busy malls while holiday shopping!

oh and one last thing... if you are out of your home and are eating a sandwich, either keep it in it’s wrapping while you are eating it, or cover it with a napkin, this way you avoid the germs from your hands directly being in contact in your food while you will ingest.

Take care all!

Lyndsay & Laurie

Ever Think About Going Vegan?

It may be easier than you think. Sure, lots of us love our cheese, but Daiya makes an incredible vegan cheddar, mozzarella, havarti that melts like cheese. When going Vegan in the past, it had the reputation that you were saying so long to anything good and saying hello to raw vegetables... and basically that was it! but times have changed, being a vegan today means that you can still have anything a vegetarian can have, just with substitutes.

I got the following material from the Peta site and thought it was perfect material to share with you:

Grocery stores carry an array of great-tasting vegan options, including some items that you might not know are vegan. Many products, including fantastic faux franks; veggie burgers; chicken-free chicken patties; flavored soy, almond, and rice milks; nondairy ice creams; and other sensational snacks, are marketed to vegetarians and vegans. There's also an abundance of chips, dips, cookies, candies, frozen pies, soups, and other mouth-watering items by mainstream food manufacturers that are also vegan.*

Take a stroll through your local grocery store, check some ingredients, and you'll see what we mean. You may even be surprised to find that a few of your favorite indulgences happen to be vegan! For example, did you know that Pepperidge Farm Turnovers, Murray Butter Cookies, and Cracker Jacks are all vegan?

Please note that this list is just for U.S.-based products, as ingredients can vary by region. Companies frequently change their formulations, so read labels prior to purchasing.

We are constantly updating this list, so if you know of a vegan product that isn't currently listed or if you find a product here that isn't vegan, please contact PETA.

Below are just a couple catagories of items listed on the Peta site, this is the most amazing resource, as we all do not have hours to spend in the grocery store reading labels, this is just an easy reference that you can bring up on your smart phone while at the shop or prior to.

Did you know that the below items were vegan? Check out so many more at http://www.peta.org

Baking:

Aunt Jemima Coffee Cake Mix
Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat Pancake/Waffle Mix
Baker's Unsweetened Baking Chocolate Squares
Betty Crocker Bisquick
Betty Crocker Bisquick Reduced Fat
Blue Bonnet Light Margarine
Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening
Crisco Original Cooking Spray
Crisco Zero Grams Trans Fat Per Serving All-Vegetable Shortening
Duncan Hines California Walnut Brownie Mix
Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting (Chocolate)
Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting (Classic Vanilla)
Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting (French Vanilla)
Hodgson Mill Bran Muffin Mix
Hodgson Mill Caraway Rye Bread Mix
Hodgson Mill White Bread Mix
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Gingerbread Mix
Jell-O Instant Pudding (Pistachio)
Jello-O Instant Pudding (Banana Creme)
Jello-O Instant Pudding (Lemon)
Jello-O Instant Pudding (Vanilla)
Keebler Ready Crust Pie Crusts (Graham Cracker)
Miracle Muffins
Pillsbury Treat Toppers Chocolate
Pillsbury Treat Toppers Vanilla
Reduced Fat Bisquick
Royal Pudding & Pie Filling
Tropical Source Dark Chocolate Chips

Condiments:

Arnold Premium Seasoned Stuffing
Betty Crocker Bac-o's Bacon Flavor Bits
Brianna's French Dressing
Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing
Brianna's Santa Fe Blend Dressing
Campbell's Franco-American Mushroom Gravy
Classico Pasta Sauces (Roasted Garlic and Spicy Red Pepper)
Dona Maria Mole
El Paso Enchilada Sauce
El Paso Enchilada Sauce
French's Beef Stew Mix
Girard's Champagne Dressing
Girard's Italian Dressing
Girard's Original French Dressing
Girard's Raspberry Dressing
Goya Ham-Flavored Concentrate (Sabor A Jamon De Cocinar)
Gravy Master Seasoning & Brown Sauce
Heinz Ketchup
Hershey's Shell Topping
Hershey's Syrup
Hunt's Manwich Sauce
Kame Marinades (Red Chili)
Kame Marinades (Sweet Teriyaki)
Kame Marinades (Thai Coconut)
Kame Marinades (Wasabi with Ginger)
Kellogg's Corn Flakes Crumbs
Knorr Red Bell Pepper Pesto Sauce Mix
Kraft Balsamic Dressing
Kraft Catalina Dressing
Kraft Classic Italian Vinaigrette Dressing
Kraft Creamy Italian Dressing
Kraft Fat Free Italian Dressing
Kraft French Dressing
Kraft French Fries Seasoning
Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce
Kraft Shake 'N Bake Seasoned Coating Mix Crispy Chicken Nuggets
McCormick Bag'n Season Chicken
McCormick Bag'n Season Italian Herb Chicken
McCormick Bag'n Season Oriental Chicken
McCormick Bag'n Season Pot Roast
McCormick Bag'n Season Southwest Style Chicken
McCormick Bag'n Season Swiss Steak
McCormick French Onion Dip Mix
McCormick Hunter Sauce Blend
McCormick Mesquite Chicken Seasoning
McCormick Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning
McCormick Skillet Paste Sweet & Sour Chicken
McCormick Skillet Paste Thick & Spicy BBQ Pork
McCormick Spaghetti Sauce Mix
McCormick Spring Onion Dip Mix
McCormick Stir Fry Chicken Seasoning Blend
McCormick Vegetable Dip Mix
Melissa's White Chocolate Dessert Topping
Newman's Light Balsamic Dressing
Newman's Light Italian Dressing
Newman's Light Raspberry and Walnut Dressing
Newman's Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing
Newman's Red Wine Vinaigrette and Olive Oil Dressing
Newman's Regular Balsamic Dressing
NOH Chinese Lemon Chicken Sauce Mix
Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix
Peanut Butter & Co. White Chocolate Wonderful
Ragu Pizza Sauce
Smucker's Marshmallow Icecream Topping
Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Happy Cooking,

Laurie and Lyndsay

Heart Healthy Recipes

Heart Healthy Recipes for Thanksgiving Weekend

By Heart & Stroke Foundation

Just click on the recipe name below and a browser will open up with the page:

1. Mexican Bean Burrito Casserole

2. Maple Roasted Vegetables

3. Wild Rice & Mushroom Pilaf

4. Sweet Potato & Chickpea Risotto

Heart Healthy

Firstly, Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends!

This week something occurred that shook our family up a wee bit. It is not the first time as a family we have dealt with health issues at the parent level. Our very healthy, active, fit father was admitted to ICU with a racing heart rate. He has worked construction his entire adult life and unfortunately has chosen rarely to wear masks when dealing with dusty environments. The damage this has caused to his lungs creates an annual fall cold/cough/flu like condition. Dad has coughing fits, achy limbs and cannot sleep thru the nights. He tends to sleep in the lazy boy, partially upright with the fireplace blazing for many of the nights during this time period.

This year, a little different!

The damage to his lungs has caught up to him and now the body is saying, no more! The coughing is causing spasm in the lungs; his body is not circulating the oxygen that it should, thus putting stress on the heart. On the insistence of my eldest sister Lisa, a trip to the emergency unit in the local hospital on Monday resulted in a doctor who sent him home without checking his heart. She informed him that the x-rays show that his lungs are clear, but may be damaged from the dust exposure long term. On the insistence of my mother, to their family physician he went and one listen to his heart, off to the intensive care unit he was sent.

The very reason he is in the hospital is partially due to the invincible attitude my father and so many others have. This is a 69 year old man who gets up early every day and still goes to work. He paces himself and rests as he needs throughout the day. He also keeps a daily intake of seeds and nuts, raw fruits and vegetables, eating well and snacking throughout the day. My dad keeps a very healthy lifestyle and yet he is experiencing heart issues. Classically, if it can happen to our father it can happen to anyone.

It was not so long ago, after dealing with my mother’s second angioplasty, did I opt for a referral to St. Michael Toronto Heart Centre for a full heart work up just to ensure that mine was in good shape. I wore a monitor for a week. at the end of that week, it was great to get a clean bill of health. February Heart Month may be a few months away, but I urge you to take whatever steps you can toward keeping your heart healthy. Preventative medicine is definitely the way to go!!!

Here are a few sites that may give you what you need to get started:

http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483949/k.967D/Healthy_Living.htm

http://heartdisease.about.com/od/reducingcardiacrisk/a/How-To-Keep-Your-Heart-Healthy.htm

And of course one of my favourite sites (just ignore ‘the eat fish’ part! Lol!!!):

http://www.livestrong.com/article/26489-keep-heart/

This newsletter is a short and sweet one, but mentally and emotionally, so am I.

Those celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, we wish you a wonderful weekend full of family, friends, love and laughter! We included some heart healthy recipes below from the Heart & Stroke Foundation website that you can include in your weekend dinners.

Happy Cooking!

Laurie & Lyndsay

By the way, Lawrence is resting well and I am sure his body is doing a happy dance for the rest and relaxation, he has been forced into. Out on Friday and says he will be up finishing my sister’s roof!

Feeding The Body, Mind & Soul

Taking a proactive approach to staying healthy can involve many things. Keeping our minds, our bodies and our spirits healthy is a challenge that most of us face every day. I know that at any given time, I am out of whack on one of these elements. Knowing this made me think that I must not be alone.

As you know from reading our weekly newsletters that Lyndsay and I keep pretty hectic schedules. Busy schedules often affect health. Keeping balance in life is probably key to protect ourselves from illness. As vegetarians, most of you are taking care of the food aspect to feeding the body, but are you feeding your mind and your soul?

It is recommended that each and every day, we take time to nourish the soul. This means different things to different people. Essentially the commonality with this exercise is taking time each day for you and you alone. For some it is time spent meditating, for others it is time spent in prayer with their GOD. It can be time spent doing something you enjoy or doing something for others that makes you feel good.

Once again, Google proves to be an excellent source of information and guidance on this exact topic.

www.care2.com offers 15 different suggestions of which the following 5 I felt are ones I would use:

Brew a pot of herbal tea, sit down with a book or magazine and just take a break from the world.
Smile. Even if you don’t want to. Smiling tricks your brain into thinking you’re happy. (See the 7 Benefits of Laughter.)
Give someone you love a big hug and tell him or her how much you love them.
Sing…just for the joy of it. Even if you think you can’t sing, do it anyway. Freeing your voice is a good way to help heal your soul.
Look for the positive in your daily experiences. Many people seem to look for things to complain about on the articles they read. Stop looking for the negative.

Feeding the mind, although for many of us, is very much connected to the soul, can be a very different process. With my schedule, feeding my mind is probably the weakest area for me. I spend more than 2.5 hours a day driving back and forth to work, 9-10 hours at my desk and meeting with clients. Before moving to the country, I spent time every day reading the paper and always had a stack of books that I was working my way thru. Of late, I listen to CBC; spend time each day doing research on the net and weekends working on recipe development. Clearly my mind is screaming for more than what I am giving it.

I came across this short poem that I thought was quite poignant:

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny” — Unknown

Here are a few suggestions that I have come up with all by myself!

Take the time to have a conversation with someone who has lived longer and lived a bigger life than you think you can.
Write down your thoughts. No commitment to keeping a journal, just keep a notebook by your bed or next to your favourite chair. You might surprise yourself.
Play word mole on your smart phone rather than watch a mindless television program.
Take a walk in a nearby park, or if you live in the country like I do, put on your hiking shoes or rubber boots and trek thru the bush, taking time to notice your surroundings, study the birds and the trees.

I often write about things that are on my mind, am facing or have been presented with. I know that most of all, I need to nourish my soul, In working thru this newsletter, I also know that although I have made many changes in my life for the better, there are things that I used to do, that I just don’t give myself the time to do. Taking myself to the movies, sitting in a cafe with the paper or a good book with a steaming cup of green tea, eating a nice meal in tiny local bistro with a glass of prosecco, just to feel special. Guess I need to make some time for myself!

A little piece of advice, take some time to nourish the part of you that needs some love and attention!

Happy Cooking!

Laurie & Lyndsay

Interesting Thought from Lyndsay

Ever hear of brain dumping? I hadn't either but I came to realize that it is a process that is an effective way to process information and keep your mind healthy!

so what is Brain Dumping?

If your a person who writes everything down, you likely do not need to do this method, but someone like myself who is on the go all the time, on a cell phone, in and out of my car, I don't always have a pen handy and keep storing things in my memory. I was relying on my memory as my calender and notebook and I didn't realize it at the time but I was absolutely exhausted, all information was mixed, couldn't remember numbers and was just plain seeing my memory go!

I happen to mention this to a sales manager that I used to work with and he asked me if I brain dumped? and that one question has bettered my life in so many ways.

Basically you write things down as you go - yes, but also at the end of the day I write down everything I need to do, need to remember, need to buy, anything I learned that day etc. I couldn't believe what calmness this simple act brought to my life. My tasks for a day or week are very clear, I don't panic or constantly feel like I am forgetting something.

If you have in the past or do presently feel the way I did before learning about Brain Dumping... give it a try!

Food Industry be Held Accountable?

Is the Conventional Food Industry Getting Healthy!

It has been a long time coming that the for contributing to the state of our population’s health. We live in a society of reactionary medicine instead of preventative. Food is what keeps the body healthy and can also cause the body to be unhealthy. As Lyndsay and I promote natural and healthy foods, we think it is important that labelling of foods be informative so we, the consumer can make the choice between what might appear to be less than a healthy choice.

As a lifetime food industry professional, I am not a stranger to great food, healthy food, not so healthy food and of course food that is ‘darn right bad for me!’ I have my vices...Lay’s low salt potato chips (the blue bag, my favourite); avocado oil potato chips when I can find them; Barkleys Natural Confectionary ‘s new Cupcake Truffle Bar, which has replaced my old favourite, the Mint Truffle Bar; Sweets From The Earth’s Cashew Cookies, they are the best, although Lyndsay would argue that her favourite, the Chocolate Caramel Pecan Bar is better. I obsess about food and what I am putting into my body, both the good food and the bad. When I choose the bad, I don’t necessarily need to read the nutritional label to know what I am eating is not good for me, but I make that choice consciously. The average consumer does not have my food knowledge and therefore without clear labeling, healthy words used on labels can be misleading.

Reading and understanding nutritional tables is not necessarily an easy process, so I googled to find a few sites that might enlighten you, the consumer:

http://www.livestrong.com/food-labels/

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/label-etiquet/nutrition/index-eng.php

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/NFLPM/ucm274593.htm

I believe the progress the food industry is making, is lead by the natural food advocates and the natural health practitioners. I am not sure how such small numbers are affecting the big ones, but it is happening. The Fast Food Industry has had no choice, but to make changes and now include fresh foods to their format. Wendy’s is advertising ‘nutritious options’; McDonald's has made their nutritionals available online and Burger King’s hype is ‘cage free pork’. For many of our subscribers and readers, there are very few items on any of these menus that they would order; however I do believe that it is good to see these kinds of changes. Now if we can just get everyone on board with a truly healthy veg-vegan option in fast food restaurants, we might just have an option when on road trips!

We have a long way to go to where the consumer’s health is given top priority on labeling however the food industry is making noticeable development toward change at a fairly quick pace. I believe we can attribute this to the Natural Food and Health Advocates who are peppered throughout Canada and the US. I truly do not believe the healthy options the fast food chains are offering are truly healthy options, however ‘healthier’ is better than nothing at all. What are your thoughts on this topic?

Happy Cooking,

Laurie and Lyndsay