Feed Your Life!

Hey, there is arugula hiding in my eggs!

I am a foodie. There is no hiding it. My step-mother, Suzi, tells me that as a kid, when we were eating breakfast, I would ask what we were having for dinner. I love the nurturing feeling that comes from food that comforts, and the crisp texture of fresh foods. I cannot tell you the number of meals that I have enjoyed at the hands of those who love me, and as such, I absorbed that love through every forkful.

As an adult, I became the food nurturer; loving those around me with food that would express the deep love that I have for them. It was the one, personal gift that I could offer to them. So when I determined that my weight was not going to improve with the way I was eating, I really had to change my motto from “I live to eat” to “I eat to live.”

Changing the mindset of eating is not always easy. Behavioral change is just as difficult. I have found that when the evidence is clear, and reason is identified, making adjustments in habits become a little easier. After spending the better part of 15-18 years fatigued, uncomfortable, irritable, and quite honestly, depressed, all of my personal research pointed to the incredibly nutrient poor diet that I was ingesting. I survived on a large portion of carbohydrates, with a small helping of vegetables and a dollop of protein. What I thought was the thrifty way of eating, cost me more in valuable years than it would have ever saved me in money.

There was an interesting cascade effect that began when I first started incorporating more vegetables and healthy proteins in my diet.

• First, I made a healthy meal choice.
• Then, my mind recognized that a good choice was made, and the happy “reward” hormone said “atta girl!” in my head.
• This sweet little happy hormone encouraged me to make more and more good choices, and even gave me the nudge to get active.
• The activity, of course, rallied in weight loss, as well as the occasional ravenous hunger spells from the calorie deficit.
• Remembering that happy feeling when good food choices were made, it kept me from digging into the former food habits.

All of these things help in the course of sustainable weight loss and increased health.

But be aware: If an indulgence creeps in, these things all work in reverse! Unless you quickly jump back on the program and keep trucking forward.  I say this not to be a downer, but to remind us that we will have times that we allow ourselves the occasional splurge, and when that happens, we can take control of the situation and resume the path that we are headed on.

As I transitioned into a healthier eating pattern, my mission was to eat no less than 5 servings of vegetables and fruit (combined) per day.  If I had a day that I was more hungry than normal, I tried to train my brain to think of a veg or fruit that I could eat, rather than the normal filler foods like crackers, chips, etc.

One thing that I am super thankful for during the last 3 years is that I have not been ill, even once. Not a cold, flu or anything (thank you, Lord). There have been a couple of times that it felt like something was trying to set in and I would quickly make a batch of Ginger Tea (hot water, 1 inch hunk of ginger, wedge of lemon & a tsp of honey), and whatever it was would leave.  This is truly evidence that nutrition will assist the body in promoting wellness. When our cells are given the proper macronutrients, vitamins and minerals, the chemical reactions within the body work in proper fashion, building new cells, tissues and fighting off invaders as well as getting rid of dead or bad cells. All of these things take place without any acknowledgement on our part; the nutrients from food simply do their job.

So, no longer is there a huge desire to consume food based simply on taste. Food serves a function, fueling the body, so that life is so much richer. Physical, mental and emotional health improves by eating whole foods.

If your food comes from the Earth or ate from the earth, eat it. If it has undergone any form of processing besides washing, freezing, grinding or drying, you will do yourself a favor by limiting them to only about 1/5 of your total food consumption or less. Each step of processing removes another layer of nutrients, which your body desperately needs to stay in tip-top, disease-fighting state.

The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest, by Dan Buettner is a fascinating book that details the 9 common factors among the population of individuals who live to see 100 years of age. While that may seem like a lofty goal, these individuals seem to do it effortlessly with simple rules for life. I had the privilege to hear Dan Buettner speak at the 2013 Florida Dietetic Symposium and his research bolstered my insistence on making nutrition a priority.

Eat fresh foods. Often. Don’t get discouraged if you try something for the first time and do not like it. Our palettes need the need the opportunity to acquire a new taste. The first time that I ate arugula I thought it was too pungent. It took about 3 times of trying it with different dishes before I finally decided that I LOVE it. Especially with balsamic vinegar!

Challenge yourself the next time you go to the grocery or the market, to buy something that you have never eaten before and keep an open mind to it. Look up the nutrients of that food, and remind yourself that you are FEEDING YOUR LIFE!

Xoxo,

Tasha

Clean Eating "Bite You Back" Black Bean and Brown Rice Soup

Market days always give me inspiration to get in the kitchen. There is something about gathering fresh ingredients that makes me feel like I am doing my best to nourish my family. I think about the verses in Proverbs 31:14-15 which say,

"She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
 She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants."

 

My children may argue that they are the servants :-).  Though most of the items at the market are not from far off, it does take some effort to go out of the way each week, but it is well worth it.

 

While I love to cook, I don't like to be pinned down to an exact recipe, simply because I like to work with what is on hand. If you do not have these exact ingredients, don't fret, just allow this to give you a little inspiration and make your tummy rumble...

 

This is where I began:

 

12 oz. pk. of dried Black Beans (soak overnight) ~ or begin with 3 16oz cans of black beans, rinsed

1 can of Rotel tomatoes

1 cup of brown rice

4 carrots

2 celery ribs

1 onion

1 red pepper

5 garlic cloves
1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil

4 green onions

1 tsp. coarse sea salt

2 shakes of black pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

2/3 tsp. cumin
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried

You will add water to this recipe as you go along

 

 

If you have never used dried beans before, know that black beans are one of the more hard beans when they are dried. They need to be soaked overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse them thoroughly. Then put them in a stock pot with enough water to cover them about 2 inches deep in the pot. Place a lid on it, bring it to a boil, and then allow it to simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours. This can also be done in a crock pot, beginning on high until it is boiling, and then reduce to low for at least 2 hours.

 

*** Know that this recipe will work easily with 3 16oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed. The dried beans are more economical, and have no added sodium, but feel free to do what works for you.

 

 

 

 

This recipe does not use premade vegetable stock, so we are going to make some of our own. Begin by chopping the onions, carrots, celery and red pepper.

 

 

In a skillet, or shallow sauce pan, place the cumin, crushed red pepper, tomato paste, olive oil, and use a garlic press for the garlic cloves. Turn the heat to just under medium. As the pan warms, you will begin to smell the cumin. Stir the cumin and the red pepper around to completely toast (it only takes about 30 seconds once the pan is warm. Begin to stir all of the ingredients together. The tomato paste will become more rich in flavor with the heat and the garlic will soften. Work this around for just 1 minute and incorporate 1/2 cup water. This is the base for which you will sauté the vegetables in. Go ahead and add the chopped veggies and turn the heat up slightly above medium. Allow this to cook for about 5 minutes or more. If it becomes too thick, add water by 1/2 cup increments just so that the mixture looks about like this:

 

It doesn't look like much, but I could eat these by themselves. They are so full of flavor! Check for tenderness. You should be able to easily bite into the carrots.

Now we are going to do the "hidden veggie" thing...

 

 

Do you have a Ninja? This is my kitchen workhorse! I use it to make smoothies, puree veggies for soup, or to hide ingredients that unsuspecting eyes may pick out if it were staring at them in the face.

 

I really like this particular model because in addition to the 72oz pitcher, it has the single serve blenders work well for making on-the-go smoothies, as well as the processer bowl and blade set, which is perfect for making salsa in! The instructions say that the processor bowl can be used to make dough as well (can you say pizza night?)

Ok, where was I? Right, first put the fresh oregano in (if you have dried, you may add it directly to the pot of beans). Pour the sautéed vegetables into the Ninja and puree until there are no visible chunks.

 

 



Before you add the veggies, go ahead and add the Rotel tomatoes and the sea salt. If you have begun with canned beans, you may want to scale back on the salt, as there will be some in the beans already.
Add the veggies and as much water as you need to make the soup stir easily and to your desired thickness. Simmer on medium low.

Now on to the brown rice...

 

Brown rice is becoming a regular household item, but I find some folks are still having difficulty cooking it. I have been using this Martha Stewart method for the last few years and it comes out great. The key is to leave the lid on (no peaking!) and just allow it to do it's thing. While your black bean soup is simmering, go ahead and cook up 1 cup (dry) brown rice, and when it is done, the soup should be perfect as well.

 

 

This is what you should have when it is all done... yummy goodness..

I added the rice directly into the soup and turned the heat off.

You may choose to keep your brown rice separate.

 

 





 

You can chop the green onions, adding the white/core section of the onions directly to the soup and using the green tops to garnish.

 I added a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt to compliment the spicy heat and to add some protein to this flavorful rendition of Black Bean Soup. The crushed red pepper steps things up a notch and makes this a festive bowl-full.

 

Beans and brown rice are both great sources of fiber and when they are combined, they give you a great complimentary source of protein. Eating whole foods is the way to go!

 

 "I love you once, I love you twice, I love you more than beans and rice"

 

Recipe By Tasha Brickhouse

Farmer's Market Day

If you are in Volusia County, Florida, Wednesday is the big Farmer's Market day at the Volusia County Fairgrounds from sun-up until around noon. It is the best place to get fresh produce. I've been going for about 14 years, bring about $20 per week and coming home with a basket full!

Recently, I have been buying super jumbo eggs there, $7 for 40 eggs. These are so big,which makes them an economical choice.

I can't wait to see what they have today!

- Posted on the fly
By Tasha Brickhouse

What Can You Get at the Farmers Market for Under $20?

I am a huge Farmer's Market fanatic. It started long ago, when as a teenager, my sister Kristi and I both worked at the Virginia Beach Farmers Market.  The summers were filled with trailers of Silver Queen corn, watermelons, snow cones and cotton candy and the fall was pumpkin patches and hay bales.  Combine that with my mother's love of any vegetable, and now as an adult, it is hard to go a week without a trip to the market.

This morning my sweet neighbor, Val, went with me to get a basket of goodies.  Each of us went with just $20 and we came back with bags of food & money left over!  Check out what I got for just $17!

• 10 Plums $2
• 2 Avocados $1
• 4 Beef Stake Tomatoes $2
• 12 Pickling Cucumber (this variety is tender and yummy for slicing with red onions & red wine vinegar) $1.50
• 4 Red Peppers $2
• 2 Yellow Peppers $1
• 3lb bag of Cooking Onions $1
• 1lb bag of Carrots $.75
• 1lb of Asparagus $1
• 1 large Red Onion $.75
• 2 Spaghetti Squash $2
• 5 small Bok Choy $1
• 1 Celery $1

You cannot beat the deals!  There is no other way to provide healthy foods for your family at a reasonable cost.  There are a few things that you may want to keep in mind when going to the market for the first time. 

• Don't buy the first thing you see.  Take your time and check prices because competing vendors may have better prices or better quality.  If you have never been to the market, take a walk around first, making note of prices as you go. 
• Ask the vendors what is in season right now.  Those items will be at the lowest prices.  Other items may be available, but remember, if it is not in season, you may pay more and there may be a loss of quality because it is not the time of year for premium production (for instance, oranges will not be as flavorful in the summer as they are in the winter)
• Bring a cart, wagon, stroller, etc. because you are sure to fill it up!  Don't forget your reuseable bags too!

Once you are a regular at the market, the vendors get to know you and often times are willing to give you a bit of a deal now and then. A trip to your local market may be out of your normal routine, but check with your county agriculture center to find one near you.

Going to the market reminds me of the woman in Proverbs 31:14 "She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar." Taking care of my family is the highest calling!