In our Healthy + Whole series, we’ve been talking about barriers to embracing healthy eating: no time, fear, and lack of inspiration. Now, we’d like to tackle some more personal barriers, starting with guilt. 

Guilt and food are so intertwined in American culture, it’s hard to know where one ends and the other begins. How often have you heard a conversation about food that starts with, “I really shouldn’t have eaten that [brownie, cookie, ice cream, french fries]! I’ll go to the gym tomorrow to make up for it.”

My examination of guilt in my life started around the time that Alex and I decided to be more thoughtful and intentional our eating habits. I began to realize how long I had lived out of a paradigm of guilt — for example, I ate out of an obligation to eat what I thought was “healthy”. I started counting calories, and then became guilt-ridden when I ate more than my daily allotment. I would turn to comfort food when I felt emotional, feel guilty, and then eat more to make myself feel better.

Outside of eating, I also lived out of guilt in decision-making. I would become paralyzed from making a decision because I was already guilty that I would make the wrong choice. I did certain things because I felt it was my “duty”, just to avoid the guilty feeling afterwards. I would try very hard in relationships, and then be guilty that I wasn’t measuring up as a good friend, daughter, or spouse.

Once Alex and I began to realize how much guilt can become a burden in both food and daily life, we decided to take a stance on guilt and start removing it from our vocabulary.

You’ll notice that on this site, we don’t talk about “guilty pleasures” or make comments about lusting after brownies or cookies. We purposely do this to focus on freedom. Since we’re free to make our food choices, there’s no need to live out of the realm of guilt. We eat whole foods not because we “should”, but because we love them. We splurge occasionally because there are no “rules”, and we don’t feel guilty afterwards.

Believe me, it’s taken me years and years to get here. Food and guilt used to have strong control over me. But little by little, I’ve been learning how to embrace eating with a new-found freedom – the freedom to wholeheartedly enjoy delicious, whole foods, the freedom to embrace splurges in moderation, and the freedom to give myself grace and truly love myself and the choices I make.

We’re in the midst of something unexpected and new. We bought a new home! We’re moving from our little bungalow just a few blocks across the street to a 1926 two-story. The new home has a bit more space and a larger yard, enough space the future family we’re dreaming of. And the best part — we’re doing a kitchen renovation!

Designing our own kitchen has been something we’ve dreamed of for a long time, and it’s almost surreal to actually be looking at appliances and designing our ideal layout. Our Pinterest board is now a sea of kitchens, and Alex has been playing with room designing applications. It’s not a huge room, but it’s square (instead of our current galley layout), with enough space to fit most of what we’d like to have.

If everything goes as planned, we’re hoping to share some of our reno progress with you here!  In the meantime, let us know any helpful tips.

And now to tacos. We harvested our first garden radishes the other day, and I stumbled upon this recipe for tacos with radish salsa. I couldn’t resist suggesting them to our friend Annie who came over to cook this past weekend, even though we’ve already enjoyed our share of tacos together. She was more than happy to try a new taco variation, and we were delighted by the result — the tangy radish salsa is a refreshing and unique flavor to compliment the black beans and feta. It came together quickly, and was a delightful way to share a meal together.

And, check out Annie’s blog for this lovely blackberry chevre salad she shared with us for the meal.

Failure sometimes results in some of our greatest successes. This recipe, for example, was supposed to be a birthday cake. My parents were in town to celebrate their 60th birthdays, and we wanted to create a delicious, special cake in their honor. I had decided to go out on a limb and try a raw cake, something like this, with a frosting made only of bananas, cocoa powder and honey. It was a bit of a risk, and, like any risk, had the distinct possibility of failure. When the banana frosting came out as strange-tasting banana goo, I was crushed.

Luckily, Alex saved the day with his suggestion to turn the cakes into an ice cream sandwich. It’s basically a play on this raw brownie, one of our favorite desserts. There are a lot of nice things about these sandwiches — they’re no bake, which makes them easy to assemble, they’re gluten-free, which makes them versatile for serving to those with allergies, and if you try them with our coconut milk ice cream (mint or chocolate), they’re also dairy-free and naturally sweet, if you’re looking for those things. But above all, they are truly delicious, with the slightly gooey texture of the “real” ice cream sandwiches. They were a huge hit, and a great finale to the birthday dinner.

We had to fight through failure just as hard on the photos, endlessly trying to set up a shot we had in our minds but weren’t quite sure how to capture. We finally found what we were looking for, though you’ll notice it was getting a bit melty towards the end.

We thought these might be a nice idea for a Memorial Day treat, with that holiday quickly approaching. And, they’re a nice lesson in failure – while we only share the recipes and photos that turn out here, there are hundreds of failures behind the successes! (Like this recipe we tried 10 times before we got it right.)

Like most people my age (and most people in general), I have some pretty far out and big dreams. Ones that will see me on a beach in Rio next winter, moving into a heritage home with my love, starting a cooking studio/education centre project, writing a book, climbing all the mountains, learning how to ride a motorcycle, training for a marathon, having a bunch of littles running around a huge garden (that one’s far off)… you get the idea. Big, beautiful, sun-in-your-eyes coloured aspirations shifting and moving through my mind constantly.

There are everyday kind of goals that fill up my life moments as well. Like trying to catch up with email replies, or remembering to rehydrate with a giant glass of water in the morning, making it to work on time, sorting some recycling, maybe thinking about finally getting my hair cut, fully parsing out some directions on Google Maps… Things you cross off the list of day-to-day stuff, everything that makes our existence full and varied.

All of these everyday bits and huge dreams, they require our full attention, some thought process, an able body and the buzz of energy to make the forces rush forward into fruition.

There is so much to do. But first, we must eat.

I am a busy lady, and I know that a lot of people who check in with my site are at it with the greatness of life too because I get plenty of warm and lovely emails asking me if I have any advice on healthy and easy eats throughout the week. This is a subject I could go on about for a while, but today I will offer one, perhaps too simple, method that we are all capable of adopting: make a bunch of tasty components for the week, put them in a bowl and eat.

This kind of bowl-eating is taken right out of my real deal, everyday living. An ideal fridge situation at the beginning of the week for me would include some or all of the following: cooked beans (chickpeas are my fave) or marinated tofu/tempeh, one or two batches of cooked whole grains, washed and chopped greens (or baby greens/sprouts of some sort), a batch of roasted seasonal vegetables, plenty of raw veg too for munching or grilling if weather permits and some sort of tasty dressing or sauce that I can put on everything. Additionally, I like to have some seeds and nuts and leafy herbs around for garnishing.

I’ve got some basic recipes here to get you on your way to tasty bowls as soon as possible, including my favourite quinoa cooking method (no more overcooked lumpiness-yay!), a dressing that I never ever get tired of, a simple (but possibly life-changing) method for roasting spring veggies and some notes on optimal bean cooking. Let’s get busy.

Don’t forget to visit Laura’s blog, the First Mess, for more beautiful recipes!

Do you dream of travel? Some people are born with a travel bug. My mother is a prime example; she’s always had a curiosity for exploring new parts of the world, a trait she passed on to both me and my sister. Since our first trip abroad to Europe in our teens, my sister and I were smitten, and have been fortunate since then to  visit many countries around the world.

Growing up, travel was everything to me. I generally yearned to be hiking the Alps or eating ravioli in Italy or doing anything but what I was doing at the moment. Somewhere in between, I’ve also learned that while travel is life-changing and mind-expanding and overall amazing, learning how dwell in one place can be just as fulfilling. Surprising as it was to me to end up in Indianapolis, Indiana, living in this community for 9 years has been just as ‘overall amazing’ as any of my travels – digging in, making roots, connecting with creative and passionate people, learning to love little-known corners of my city - this too is what life is about, sharing authentic community with your neighbors season by season, year by year.

I still love travel, and my recent trip to Cambodia and Laos is no exception. One of my favorite memories of my time in Laos with my dear sister was eating this banh mi. A banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich: a chewy baguette with spiced meat or tofu, topped with pickled vegetable condiments and doused in mayo and hot sauce. If you’re never heard of it, you will, as this sandwich is starting to take over the world. Here we’ve attempted to create the egg banh mi my sister and I enjoyed at a Vietnamese bakery in Vientiene, Laos. It’s not quite perfect, but it’s the best we could do as non-professional banh mi sandwich artists. We’d love to hear your tips for a perfect banh mi, if you’ve got them.

To travel, and to dwelling.

And, Happy Mother’s Day to my mom, the travel bug, and my beautiful mothers in law and grandmother. We love you!

Our city has seen a beautiful spring this year. The pace has been slow, at times excruciating, but perfect. The tulips planted on a whim last October came up vibrant and beautiful. Our first ever crop of garlic has led the way in the garden, and the peas, lettuces, greens, and radishes aren’t far behind. The old, tall trees around us are  beginning to explode into green. Beneath them, younger flowering trees fill the air with wonderful smells and pastel colors.

This spring too, we’ve escaped the city. A few weeks ago I backpacked three days in the Smoky Mountains, where the wide streams and the rocky paths led me into a peaceful retreat to nature. Last weekend, we added a hike in Brown County and a visit to an artist’s old homestead. I’ve been reminded that the outdoors nourishes both the body and the soul. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how many healthy meals we make in our home — nothing feeds me like a trip to sit on a rock, by a stream, or in the woods.

So, our challenge today is to get out there — get hiking, get gardening, get out and appreciate the world that’s home to all those delicious foods we enjoy.

Look it Over

I leave behind even
my walking stick. My knife
is in my pocket, but that
I have forgot. I bring
no car, no cell phone,
no computer, no camera,
no CD player, no fax, no
TV, not even a book. I go
into the woods. I sit on
a log provided at no cost.
It is the earth I’ve come to,
the earth itself, sadly
abused by the stupidity
only humans are capable of
but, as ever, itself. Free.
A bargain! Get it while it lasts.

~Wendell Berry

Stress was the topic of Alex and my conversation on our drive home from work today. Why is it that some people carry so much stress in life, whereas others seem to be content no matter what the circumstance?

I used to be one of those stressed people. I was stressed about my job, family relationships, friend relationships; worried that I wasn’t measuring up. I internalized the stress of those around me, and felt like I was constantly falling behind, fearful I’d accidentally drop the ball by forgetting my mom’s birthday or not returning a client’s email.

Somewhere in the past few years, Alex and I decided to reverse the stress trend. One of our inspirations was a wise saying from a friend that “the opposite of entitlement is gratitude”. Instead of being stressed about our work, why not be thankful that our jobs provide a means for keeping us alive? Instead of complaining about a person or situation, why not focus on words that build up instead of put down?

The more we thought on the positive, the more stress seemed to drain out of our lives. While this philosophy doesn’t eliminate stress overnight, it’s a practice that brings gratitude and abundance.

Tonight, I was grateful to be able to create this salad. With spring radishes and spinach, quinoa and zesty lemon, it’s both nutritious and delightfully fresh tasting. We served it as a light dinner with greens and bread. What a change from the “old” us of quick microwave dinners, served with a side of work. For that, we’re grateful.

We unplugged a bit this weekend to spend time with my parents, in town from Minnesota. Hard as it is to squeeze 5 days of work into a 4-day week, it felt great to take a breather from work, blogging, and most social media (minus Instagram, of course) to celebrate some milestone birthdays and enjoy the weekend. We cooked for fun, with no intention of developing recipes – also a nice break.

This recipe was born of the exact opposite, trying a bit too hard to come up with a recipe. Our friend Erin visited a while back to help us create some recipes for our Healthy + Whole series. We tasked ourselves with creating a recipe that was healthy, easy, relatively cheap, versatile, appealing to the masses, with a short ingredient list, and not dependent on fancy cooking equipment. Somehow, all those constraints boxed us in. Trying to come up with the “perfect” meal that fit all of these categories was a chore. We deliberated for hours and changed our minds several times.

Luckily, what finally came of all the deliberating actually turned out to be this tasty tortilla pie. It’s easy to make, though it does take 1 hour to cook (failing my “quick to make” test, but we had to sacrifice something). Filled with the traditional black beans and corn, the flavor is heightened with green chilies and a hint of hot sauce. It’s great warm out of the oven, and saves well as leftovers. We hope you enjoy it as a healthy and whole dinner option.

We’re interested to hear from you — what are some good healthy and easy recipes you like to serve?

Also, thank you to all of you for your thoughtful and supportive comments about my recent trip to Cambodia and Laos. It has been so lovely to share with you, and Alex and I appreciate your interest in the Green Mango Cafe project so much!

The majority of my time in Cambodia was spent in the city of Battambang, working at the Green Mango Cafe & Bakery and Culinary Training Center program, run by Center for Global Impact (this post includes details and photos). I also spent some time in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the capital city and home to CGI’s sewing projects, byTavi and cgiDaughters.

After my time in Cambodia, I traveled to Vientiane, Laos to visit my sister Lisa, who is currently living there. We had a lovely time biking through the city, drinking smoothies and iced coffees, visiting temples, sweating, and eating all sorts of foods from spicy banh mi sandwiches, sticky rice and mango pancakes, and (gulp) crickets.

Below are some photographs I snapped in both countries during my visit.

Market, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Market, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Dragonfruit, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Market, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Market, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Flower, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

S21, a high school turned prison during the Khmer Rouge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane, Laos

Pha That Luang, Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane, Laos

Pha That Luang, Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane, Laos

Temple, Vientiane, Laos

Night Market, Vientiane, Laos

Night Market, Vientiane, Laos

Night Market, Vientiane, Laos

Night Market, Vientiane, Laos

Pha That Luang, Vientiane, Laos

Delicacies from the Night Market, Vientiane, Laos

Sculpture of cluster bombs (millions of bombs still remain unexploded),Vientiane, Laos

Banh mi, Vientiane, Laos

Market, Vientiane, Laos

Market, Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane, Laos

Temple, Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane, Laos

Daily fruit smoothie, Vientiane, Laos

Mekong River, Vientiane, Laos

Dining in Vientiane, Laos

Crickets (yes, we ate them), Vientiane, Laos

Sticky rice and mango pancake, Vientiane, Laos

Patuxai Arch, Vientiane, Laos

Wat Si Saket, Vientiane, Laos

Wat Si Saket, Vientiane, Laos

Wat Si Saket, Vientiane, Laos

Wat Si Saket, Vientiane, Laos

Sisters

This dessert doesn’t have much to do with Cambodia, but with Cinco de Mayo approaching, we thought we’d take a quick reprieve to share it with you.

This recipe is one of the first that I have deemed “blog-able” (our standard for sharing recipes with you) where Alex disagreed. My original recipe used a Greek yogurt filling similar to these blueberry tartlettes, but Alex found it much too sour. Lucky for all of us, he suggested using hand-whipped cream instead.  This cream carries the tangy margarita flavor much better, and with a fairly small amount of cream and sugar per serving, it can still be considered light. The airy filling is a nice contrast to the nutty, salty crust — and reminiscent, a bit, of a margarita.

This treat is a play on the popular date-and-nut crust idea, which makes the crust gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan, and raw. However, we’ve balanced that out nicely with a filling that is both dairy-filled and sweetened with sugar. (A alternative for special diets would be to use coconut whip and sweeten with honey or maple syrup.) It makes for a delightful little dessert that could end a Cinco de Mayo meal.

And, thank you to those of you who have been following along on the Cambodia coverage. Your supportive comments and thoughts are so encouraging, especially your support on the cookbook project!  It truly means the world to us.

We’ll be posting a photo montage of Cambodia and Laos this week as well. Until that time, here is some additional fodder for a Cinco de Mayo feast:

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
Lentil Tacos
Lentil and Grilled Vegetable Tacos
Roasted Squash and Portabello Tacos
Mexican Pizza
Mexican Lasagna
Black Bean Tostadas
Grapefruit Margarita with Salt Foam
Chocolate Chili Tofu Pudding

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of returning to the Green Mango Cafe & Bakery in Battambang, Cambodia. This is a special place for me as it’s a project Alex and I are heavily invested in — a project that provides at-risk young women in Cambodia with vocational training and a future in an attempt to combat issues like poverty and human trafficking.

Last year we visited the restaurant to write a cookbook that benefits the Culinary Training Center started and facilitated by Center for Global Impact, a non-profit organization based in the Indianapolis area. This year I returned on my own to do some teaching, photo and video work, and to spend time with the young women there. Below are some images and thoughts from my visit.

Visiting Cambodia a second time was different from the first. Gone was the intense emotional processing of my initial visit — trying to understand a country with a bloodied past (the Khmer Rouge genocide in the 1970s), intense poverty, and social issues like sexual slavery and human trafficking that affect the lives of everyday women. This time, now knowing these concepts, I came to simply spend time with these young women I’d spent the last year thinking so much about.

On our first visit in March 2012, Green Mango Café & Bakery had just opened. Alex and I worked with the first class of girls to participate in the culinary training program, who were shy but eager to learn. Now, they’re old friends — confident, seasoned, and hired on full-time as cooks and wait staff for the restaurant. This year I also spent time with a new class of women: seven students full of spunk who are enthusiastically diving into the art of restaurant cooking.

Small dice, mince, chiffonade — the kitchen is always a flurry of activity as the students work their knife skills. The new class was in full form during a cooking competition we held to commence my visit — a quick-fire challenge to make a complete entree in 1 hour. After the hour of prep time, beautiful dishes began to emerge from the kitchen: mango ginger fish, mushroom pasta, spicy fish curry, and cabbage and pork wraps. It was hard to believe that months ago these women’s livelihood was sustained by domestic servitude, picking up garbage, or worse.

I taught a few A Couple Cooks recipes, like sweet potato gnocchi, and a lesson on composting. The girls loved rolling and shaping the gnocchi and learning what to put in the compost bin (eggshells, yes! meat, no!). But it was less about what I came to teach and more about the relationships that were formed – the privilege of learning each name, face, and story.

As heart-wrenching as it’s been to understand some of their stories and their past, it’s encouraging to see them all there, cooking and laughing together — working toward a new reality.

This culinary program is not an easy fix. Simply being a part of the Culinary Training Center doesn’t guarantee a better life for these women. But what it does provide is hope – a new skill set, confidence, creativity, and an environment where they’re challenged each day. And each bright face is an investment in a future — a future that is now brighter than before.

Why Cambodia

Here’s a little bit about how we became connected in Cambodia.

A few years ago, I was introduced to the issue of human trafficking and sexual slavery. I was both horrified by the ongoing abuses against women and children around the world, and motivated to help. As a woman myself, this issue is something close to my heart.

Human trafficking and sexual slavery is happening all over the world, even in my own country, but Southeast Asia has long been known to be a hot spot for these activities. In Cambodia, poverty and a weakened infrastructure from the Khmer Rouge genocide in the 1970’s have exacerbated these issues.

In developing countries, a main driver of trafficking is poverty. Organizations and programs all over the world are seeking to combat this issue. In 2012, Alex and I were connected with Center for Global Impact (CGI), which seeks to empower the poor by creating programs to either prevent trafficking altogether, or assist those who have been affected. CGI’s programs give the opportunity for education, health, a better life, and a hope for the future.

At the time, we were looking for ways to combat this issue with the skills and resources we had: photography, writing, and recipe development. CGI asked us to write a benefit cookbook for their culinary training program, which we did with pleasure. The Green Mango Cafe & Bakery: Cooking for a Better Tomorrow was released in October 2012; the cookbook is available online and all proceeds go to CGI’s programs for at-risk women in Cambodia.

Honestly, unraveling this issue and coming to understand the full weight has been difficult for us. There are days it would be easier not to know. But knowing there are people dedicated to fighting for change, in Cambodia and around the globe is encouraging.

One Step at a Time

We’d love to chat with you if you have any thoughts on this issue, or if you have been looking for a way to get involved (feel free to contact us). Here are a few ways:

-Buy the Cookbook: A shameless plug for the cookbook! Proceeds go to CGI’s programs for women in Cambodia, including the Green Mango Cafe. Thanks also to Pinch of Yum, Annie’s Eats, and Naturally Ella for donating their time and photographs to this project.

-Donate: Donate to an organization you trust that is making a change.

-Educate: Educate yourself by reading a book or watching a movie (see below).

-Think of ways to use your gifts and talents: It can be big or small. An artist friend of ours in Indy is creating jewelry and wine racks out of salvaged materials and giving a portion of the proceeds to CGI and Purchased.

A big thank you to the organizations who have helped us understand this issue and how to give back:

Center for Global Impact (CGI) (Indy-based organization that runs the Green Mango Cafe restaurant for at-risk women in Cambodia)

Purchased (Indy-based organization that seeks to educate on human trafficking and slavery)

International Justice Mission (IJM) (National organization that fights trafficking and slavery on a global scale)

Books: Not for Sale, Girls Like Us, Road to Lost Innocence, Children of Cambodia’s Killing Fields, Half the Sky

Movies: Baht, Human Trafficking, Half the Sky

Photos like this one may give the impression that our lives are full only of the freshest ingredients, and that we expertly cook and eat beautifully styled meals each day. Let me be the first to admit that my dinner this evening consisted of some brown rice, cottage cheese, and a piece of chocolate, and Alex a pickle, some refried beans, and a Clif bar. And we’ll most certainly have popcorn later. (Darn popcorn addiction.)

The good thing about eating is that you don’t have to be perfect. Which is hard, for people who feel like they have to have it all figured out in order to start. Or that there should be some sort of consequence or guilt for messing up.

To us, eating healthy is about embracing good things, enjoying splurges in moderation, and starting small, with what you know you can handle — be it one salad at a time.

This salad is a pretty tasty one to start with. It does take a while to prepare the fresh ingredients and the dressing, but it’s well worth it for the flavor. And while it doesn’t taste exactly like noodle dish of the same name, the flavors and textures are quite reminiscent. We were huge fans and hope you’ll enjoy too! It makes for a lovely light lunch, or side dish to contribute to a shared meal.

Props to our friend Kelly for this great idea — she pointed us to Cupcakes and Kale for the inspiration. And we used chard from our friend Anita of Homestead Growers, who will be stepping down next Saturday from many years selling at Indy’s farmer’s markets. Thanks to Anita for your hard work, smiling face and friendship!

It’s somehow already May (!), and Mother’s Day is quickly approaching. We love celebrating the moms in our lives, and this year we’re even more excited to partner with Fair Trade USA for a mom-themed giveaway.

Fair Trade has sent along a package of goodies, many of which were made by women–only cooperatives. If you haven’t already found something special for that mom in your life, Fair Trade has some fun ideas on their site, or, cross your fingers and enter this giveaway — we’ll try to have the package delivered to you in time. Though, you may want to save it for yourself with all these delicious products.

We’ve listed the product details and the giveaway info below, as well as some further info about Fair Trade USA. Also, check out this cute video of a Fair Trade mom wishing Happy Mother’s Day. A big thanks to Fair Trade USA for these great products!

What is Fair Trade?

Fair Trade is a global movement to alleviate poverty in the developing world, while ensuring consumers quality products that improve lives and protect the environment. Everyday purchases that bear the Fair Trade Certified™ logo come from farmers and workers in the developing world who are justly compensated, allowing them to build sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities. Video

Fair Trade USA is the leading independent, third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. Fair Trade USA audits and certifies transactions between U.S. companies that offer Fair Trade Certified products and their international suppliers to guarantee compliance with Fair Trade principles. And as a development agency, Fair Trade USA educates consumers, builds supply chain for Fair Trade products, brings new manufacturers and retailers into the Fair Trade system, and provides farming  communities with tools, training and resources to thrive as international businesspeople.

Giveaway

This gift package includes the following:

Rishi Tea (@RishiTea): Rishi’s Jasmine Tea is an organic green tea blended with jasmine blossoms, using a traditional tea-scenting process.

Allegro Coffee (@AllegroCoffee): The Los Niños Blend is from Fair Trade Certified cooperatives in Latin America. Allegro partnered with an organization called Coffee Kids to help enable 80 families improve the quality of their land by applying better land management techniques. The end goal is to help coffee farming families learn the proper tools to increase their food sovereignty.

Alter Eco Thai Sticky Purple Rice (@AlterEcoSF): This unique purple grain is glutinous when cooked and has a delicate, sweet palate. Due to its rich taste and beautiful color, this traditional rice is used by local communities for feasts and celebrations. It is grown exclusively in the fertile soil of the Esan Plateau, in the East of Thailand, situated close to the Cambodian border.

Alter Eco Cane Sugar (@AlterEcoSF): This sugar has all the versatility of everyday granulated sugar, plus a depth of flavor that makes it the ultimate secret ingredient. Try it in your coffee, in your favorite baking recipes, or sprinkled on fruit, yogurt or morning toasts.

Chocolove (@chocolovexoxox): Tucked away in Boulder, Colorado is Chocolove – a company dedicated to creating a delicious chocolate bar, paired with the romance of love. Inside each bar of Chocolove you’ll find a classic romantic poem you can keep or share with loved ones.

LARABAR (@larabar): Made from whole foods, each flavor of LARABAR contains no more than nine ingredients. The cocoa and coffee used in LARABAR is Fair Trade Certified, meaning your afternoon snack or treat not only tastes good, but does good too!

Bhakti Chai (@BhaktiChai): Your box includes a coupon for a FREE 16 oz Iced Bhakti Chai. Get your spice on with this delicious brew of Fair Trade Certified black tea, fresh-pressed organic ginger, fiery spices and non-GMO soy milk.

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This giveaway is complete. Congrats to Sarah G. for winning!

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This giveaway is brought to you by Fair Trade USA, who donated these items!

We don’t generally label recipes as “healthy”, especially desserts — since the term almost implies there is something unsatisfying about the food. Plus, it can be subjective (what really qualifies something as healthy?) — and even healthy foods in massive quantities are no longer healthy. (Except maybe celery.) But, how to label a milkshake recipe made of only whole foods? The best search term we could come up with was “healthy”, so we went with it.

We wish we could take credit for this idea, but it’s an adaptation of this stunning almond joy milkshake from our friend Ashley of the blog Edible Perspective. We love that it’s sweetened entirely with dates, and made of coconut milk — which makes it suitable for those dairy-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free people in your life.

We went mad for these milkshakes.

A few quick caveats — #1. This tasted chocolate-y enough for our palates, but we’re not used to overly sugary foods. If you’re a traditional milkshake lover, you may have to stretch yourself a bit with this one. #2. This recipe makes enough for two modest-sized milkshakes. While not the traditional gigantic milkshake portions, they’re a satisfying amount. #3 You’ll have to think ahead on this one, so make sure to freeze the coconut milk several hours prior to serving.

Have at it.

Also, we want to send another shout out to everyone affected by the recent events in Boston and the explosion near Waco, Texas. What a week. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. 

Some weeks are busy, some weeks are delightfully slow (few and far between, really), and other weeks shake us to the core. This week, horrific events in Boston reminded us that life is painful — quick, catastrophic events can leave us shaken and reeling for months and years after.

In the midst of it all, we cling to the good, and fight the fear and hate with love. We think of those around the world who have also experienced events such as these. And we take heart from inspirational words like these from Melissa, challenging us to resist the urge to wallow and move forward, making the world a better place as we go.

Today, we bring to you a recipe we adapted from a tasty side dish we had at Cafe Lurcat in Minneapolis, my hometown. Crispy roasted new potatoes are delightful with a bit of homemade chive oil and creme fraiche (or substitute sour cream or Greek yogurt, if you’d like). The original dish was fairly rich, but we’ve lightened it up with a little less oil and salt.

Enjoy, and bring on the love.

When we first started cooking, we wanted everything quick. The quicker the better, in our minds. We took lots of shortcuts to get to delicious food in the fastest way possible. Along we the way, we started to learn that while some shortcuts work, others sacrifice flavor in a big way. Sometimes, there actually is a reason to simmer a soup longer than 20 minutes, or to wait for dough to rest. We’ve learned that the hard way — but gained valuable lessons about what is worth the wait.

Now that we don’t mind spending a little extra time for the payoff in the end, quick meals that don’t sacrifice flavor are “it” for us. This pasta is one of those — zesty, tart lemon along with fresh baby arugula, white beans, and savory Pecorino cheese. It’s essential Italian: simple flavors at their finest, and can be pulled off in 30 minutes or less.

We were hooked the first time we made it with baby arugula from Full Hand Farm, and have made it again a few times for some meals with friends. Since it’s so quick and simple, we’ve added it to our list of recipes in the Healthy + Whole series too. It’s already become a “Go To” meal for us.

We’d love to hear from our readers — what are your favorite, simple “Go To” meals?  Please let us know your ideas in the comments below, or using the Contact form. We’ll take our favorite reader ideas and turn them into a Healthy + Whole recipe!

As part of our Healthy + Whole series, we’ve been getting questions about how to “make it happen” — just how to find the time and energy to cook up healthy and delicious meals each week, especially for working parents. For some advice, we’ve looked to the queen of making it happen, our friend Annie of the blog Annie’s Eats. Annie is a mom, resident physician, and author of a fabulous renowned blog, and she still manages to put nutritious food on the table for her family. We caught up with her here to share some of her secrets on just how she does it! And don’t skip this if you’re not a parent – she has some great tips for everyone, no matter your season of life. Thank you so much, Annie! 

You’re a full-time resident physician, part-time blogger, and full-time mother of two, yet you manage to cook wholesome and delicious meals for your family. How do you do it?

For me, it’s all about planning, planning, planning.  I think one of the biggest obstacles to weeknight meal preparation is figuring out what to make.  If you already have a game plan, it’s much easier to get into the kitchen and start cooking.  No time wasted standing in front of the fridge scratching your head.

Every weekend, I take an hour or so after the kids go to bed and plan our meals for the following week (see more about my menu planning strategies).  I do any prep that I can in advance.  Finally, I utilize my freezer a lot so I can pull things from the freezer as needed (see my tips for stocking the freezer).

We’ve talked a bit on our blog of embracing new things, and not fearing failure. However, what happens if you have a failure in the kitchen and have several hungry mouths to feed? PB&J?

Thankfully, because of my meal planning efforts and keeping the fridge and pantry well stocked, even when plans for a meal go awry, we can throw together some semblance of a meal.  We may not all end up eating the same thing on those nights…it’s usually a bit of a hodge podge.  My husband really loves cereal, and embraces this as an opportunity to eat it :)  But we do try to make sure the meals are somewhat balanced with fruit(s) and/or veggies.  It’s okay if every meal isn’t perfect and if some are complete flops.  At least you’re making the effort and moving in the right direction.

What are the three top things you’d recommend to a working mom or dad (or anyone, really) who are just starting out cooking?

First, start out with quick, simple meals.  If you are new to cooking in general or just don’t do it often, starting with easy meals makes it more likely that you will follow through.  If you plan something overly complicated or time consuming, it’s more likely you will opt for take out or a pre-packaged option.  Second, choose recipes you are almost certain to enjoy.  If you choose a recipe with ingredients you are unsure of to start, you may be unhappy with the results and less likely to try again.  Finally, when you find a recipe you like, consider making double batches to freeze some for later.  Homemade freezer meals are so convenient to have around on especially busy days, and they beat the heck out of frozen lasagna.

Do your kids eat anything? How do you recommend accommodating picky eaters?

We do everything we can to help our kids develop non-picky palates, and embrace trying new things.  I feel the vast majority of picky eating behaviors are reinforced and become ingrained when parents offer their children an alternate option because they express dislike for a particular food or meal.  If children realize that all they have to do is complain and they will get their way, that’s exactly what they will do.  This creates expectations and habits that can be tough to break.

There is no reason to believe that they can only handle bland, typical “kid” foods.  Children raised in other countries are certainly not eating macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets for every meal!  In our house, our kids eat what we eat, with almost no exceptions.  We teach them from the time we introduce table food that eating vegetables is part of a healthy diet whether they like it or not (though we do our best to help them like it!)  For the part of the parent, it often feels so much easier to simply give in to the child’s demands but trust me – it is well worth the effort to consistently present this message.  The kids eventually become accustomed to it and (most of) our meals are definitely made easier because of this approach.

Of course, they are still kids, and they still have their moments of picky fits (likely more an issue of control than a true dislike for the food).  On those days where we are not making progress at the dinner table, rather than fight about it, we cover the plate, save it for later, and let our child know that when they are hungry again their dinner will be waiting for them.  And honestly, they usually do a lot better the second time around.

Do you have any “go to” recipes you’d recommend for families (or anyone, again)?

Some of our family’s favorite simple, mostly quick recipes are:

Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Garlicky Shrimp Avocado Sandwiches
Mexican Quinoa
Greek Pita Pizzas
Greek Veggie Wraps
Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce
Panko Crusted Salmon

When was your last memorable meal? We have many, but a recent meal that sticks out in my mind is one we enjoyed in Las Vegas a few months ago. At China Poblano, a Chinese and Mexican small plates restaurant by one of our favorite chefs, the exuberant Jose Andres, we enjoyed imaginative dishes like tuna ceviche with crispy amaranth (which actually inspired the crispy topping on this soup), dancing eggplant (with bonito flakes that “danced” in the breeze), and margaritas with salt air.

Yes, salt air — a layer of salty foam on the top of the margarita, providing just the right amount of saltiness with each tangy margarita sip. Upon our return, Alex was hot to recreate salt air. Some internet research showed it called for an interesting ingredient called texturas sucro. (Maybe not the most natural of products, but hey, fits into our “everything in moderation” philosophy.)

The salt foam was just as fun at home as in the restaurant. It’s quite easy to make (as long as you have an immersion blender). And if you’re not into texturas sucro, these grapefruit margaritas are mighty tasty. They’re the perfect amount of tang, sweetened naturally with honey.

We’ve included a few of our favorite Instagram shots from our Vegas trip below. Enjoy!

Right to left, top to bottom:

View from the strip, Bellagio water show, our niece Julia, inside the Venetian
Hoover dam (times 2), palm trees at the Hoover dam, Lake Mead
Inside the Venetian, our meal at Otto, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s restaurant, outside Caesar’s Palace, Chihuly glass in the Bellagio lobby
Bellagio water show, outside the Venetian, game time in the hotel, the Venetian
Gravalax at Bouchon, Bouchon dining room, French bread at Bouchon, our sweet niece and nephew
Caesar’s Palace (times 2), view from the plane, the strip at night
Inside China Poblano, nephew Colby ready to party, inside the Cosmopolitan, Vegas lights

48.8 million Americans—including 16.2 million children (nearly one in five children in America)—lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. They live in food- insecure households and as a result, they struggle with hunger at some time during the year.

(Source: nokidhungry.org)

A sobering truth is that while we and most people we know are blessed with the ability to eat whatever we want whenever we want, millions of people around us are not. It’s easy to put on the Pinterest-tinted glasses and create a happy world where everyone eats veggie enchiladas and drinks green smoothies — but the truth is, many Americans simply don’t have the resources or access to get to even half of the veggies in a trendy green drink.

We’re thankful to know people who are passionate about combating food access and hunger in our country, and it’s an issue we are naturally interested in as well, as people who care deeply about food and nutrition. So we couldn’t be more pleased to be joining with our inspiring friend Nicole to use today’s post to raise awareness in a campaign called Food Bloggers Against Hunger (and, check out the link to see the 200 other food bloggers that have joined in the effort! So cool.).

Millions of Americans who participate in the nation’s food stamp program are limited to an average of $3 or $4 per person each day to supplement their food budget. And since government subsidies generally focus on products like soy beans, wheat, and corn instead of fresh produce,  most affordable food is often the unhealthiest.

With that in mind, today we’re sharing a budget-friendly meal with ingredients that are easily accessible in most supermarkets. This take on Red Beans and Rice can be made on a budget — but even better, it’s actually quite delicious and nutrient-dense: full of veggies, legumes, and Cajun spices that pack a large amount of flavor into some humble ingredients. It also works for various special diets, including dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian.

So, how about you — have you considered the pandemic of hunger and food access (in America and/or around the word)? How has hunger or food access affected you and your family? Are you inspired to take action – or are you already involved in being part of a solution?

A few next steps to consider:

-Make a meal on a budget (like this one, or another for around $3 to 4 per person), and donate the remainder of what you might have spent on a meal at a restaurant to a food-based charity.

-Use this link to take 30 seconds and send a letter to congress asking them to support anti-hunger legislation.

-Check out the new movie on this topic, A Place at the Table (from the makers of Food, Inc ). You can check it out in your city or on demand through iTunes and Amazon.

-Check out www.nokidhungry.org to learn more stats and background on the issue.

So far in our Healthy + Whole series, we’ve talked about reasons not to pursue home cooking and healthy eating — time, fear, and lack of inspiration. But we haven’t yet tackled what to eat. There are lots of opinions out there. Here, we share what works for us. 

Our diet? We call it flexitarian. It’s mostly vegetarian; but with the freedom to enjoy all food. We make as many things as we can from scratch. In general, we avoid purchasing “processed” foods — frozen meals, fast food, unhealthy snacks, items with mystery ingredients or added sugars. But overall, we like to focus on what we do eat instead of what we don’t.

We eat simple whole foods. We aren’t amazing gourmet chefs – just home cooks who love food. We eat lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and special finds from the farmer’s markets. We eat this way because we find it joyful.

Our food journey didn’t start with healthy eating — or much intention at all. Starting about 5 years ago, we began to have experiences of enjoying truly great food — on travels, in restaurants, and in the dining rooms of some good friends. We fell in love. Our past ways of Hot Pockets, Taco Bell, and Mountain Dew fell by the wayside as we devoured the cookbook section of the library, mimicked Julia Child from her DVDs, and frantically scoured the Internet for new food blogs (no Pinterest back then!).

A world of wonderful flavors and dishes opened up to us. We realized that our old biases and food dislikes were starting to be flipped upside down. Mushrooms, olives, and fish could all be delicious! This season of food discovery was special for us, and the more we learned and tasted, the more we fell in love. Along the way, our curiosities expanded into the health and environmental impact surrounding food.

We wanted to know what foods were healthy, and we have always liked the idea of taking care of the planet. At the start, we didn’t realize how complicated our food system is. Food in America is big business, set out to provide cheap food for a culture that demands efficiency. At the surface, this seems great: tasty food, whenever you want it, at a low price. But we’ve learned over time that there is a cost. A cost to our long-term health, a cost to the environment, and a cost to many of the flavors and essential joys of cooking.

So, unintentionally, we’ve developed a personal food philosophy over the past few years. A diet that we could stick with, that doesn’t abuse our bodies or the world.

So what do we eat?

• We try to eat the foods that have the most benefits to us and to our community.
• We find the approach of a “Mediterranean” style diet to make good sense: lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, but without trying too hard to fit within a certain marketable mold.
• There are a lot of diets out there. As a common core, we see homemade whole foods as the key that ties any healthy diet together.
• We eat mostly vegetarian because of the relatively lower resources (environmental and financial) required to put veggies on our table, but we also support the meat-raising farmers in our community on occasion.
• We buy organically-grown items when we can handle the price, to support the farmers who put in the extra effort of taking care of our farmland.
• We’ve found that an all-in-moderation approach works well for us. When we make pizza, we use white flour, because we like it that way. While we generally cook meatless, I recently enjoyed a big juicy steak to initiate the grilling season in Indianapolis. And from a look around our blog, you’ll see that we choose to enjoy healthy and colorful salads, nourishing soups, and fresh veggies as our daily meals.

This diet works for us. It is freeing, and we find a lot of joy in it. How about you? What are the reasons for the way you decide to eat? Have you spent much time thinking about the big picture of where your food comes from, and the effect it has on you and the community around you?

If there’s any recipe perfectly suited for our Healthy + Whole initiative, this has got to be it – quick, easy, cheap, minimal ingredients, versatile, delicious — the omelette has it all. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Buy a dozen local eggs at the market, and you’re good for 6 meals.

We learned to make an omelette from the master herself – Julia Child. It may sound a little strange since we never got to meet, but we’ve learned a ton about cooking from Julia . She was one of the first people we started to watch when we wanted to learn to cook. The amazing thing is that she has left her legacy in a myriad of cooking show episodes so that she can continue teaching to this day.  Below, we’ve linked to a video clip of her teaching how to make an omelette.

The omelette can go with anything. You can saute up any vegetables you have on hand and place them inside (just be sure not to overstuff!), along with cheese or herbs. Here, we’ve combined a simple cheese omelette with a chimichurri sauce we made with ramps from the Indy Winter Farmer’s Market. You can always make the classic chimichurri sauce with parsley (or another veggie!) if ramps are not available to you – or you could use another sauce, like pesto.

As Julia would say – Bon appetit!

Video: Julia Child Makes an Omelette

I ran by the farmer’s market this weekend (which couldn’t be any more different than the Southeast Asian markets from my recent trip, let me tell you!), and was happy to see a table brimming full of ramps. We’d heard quite a bit about these wild onions, similar to tiny leeks, but had never tried them. I decided to pick up a bunch, and asked the vendor what to do with them. You can grill them, she told me, make a pesto, or make that one Argentinian sauce — what is it called again? Oh yes — chimichurri.

My interest was immediately piqued – I’d heard of chimichurri, but never tried it since it sounded so fancy. Let me assure you, after trying it out, not only is it incredibly easy to whip up (if you have a food processor or blender), it is incredibly tasty. Step aside, pesto — chimichurri is easier, cheaper, and just as delicious.

Classic chimichurri is made with parsley and garlic; its ramp counterpart is made with the bulbs and leaves of the ramps. Ramp chimichurri has a wonderful, smooth and unique flavor that is worth searching out a bunch of ramps. Ramps are foraged, so you could check your local forest (or farmer’s market) if you live east of the Mississippi in the US, where ramps can grow. If you’re not able to access ramps, you can’t go wrong with the classic parsley variety. I’ve included both below.

What to do with it? Traditionally, chimichurri is a condiment to serve with steak or fish, but try it with anything — grilled or roasted vegetables, eggs, on a taco, in a sandwich, on a quesadilla – whatever suits your fancy.

I’m back from my trip to Cambodia and Laos, which was wonderful in every way. Once we get through some photo editing and I collect my thoughts, I can’t wait to share with you about it! Meanwhile, I’m stuck in a fog of jet lag. Yikes! This is hard stuff, as any of you who have trekked halfway across the world before can appreciate. I’m pretty down and out at the moment, but hopefully I’ll feel better soon.

In the meantime, here is an incredibly simple “recipe” that we thought we’d share since we make it a lot, but it hadn’t yet made its way onto the blog. Instead of buying fruit dip, just stirring together yogurt, honey and cinnamon is an excellent way to create a satisfying healthy snack. I’ve used this for parties on multiple occasions with great success.

Since it’s easy, healthy, and cheap, we’ve tagged it as Healthy + Whole. It would also go well with quinoa granola, if you wanted to eat it as yogurt instead. Enjoy!

A sale on lettuce at our local winter farmer’s market a few weeks ago ($1.50 per head!) made us wonder — what to do with lettuce other than a salad?  The first thing that came to mind was lettuce wraps – so we thought we’d give them a try.

We were feeling adventurous, so we thought we’d go for it and incorporate the one “vegetarian” ingredient we rarely work with. Yes, tofu. Some of you may cringe in disgust at the thought, but it actually can be quite delicious, when cooked properly. Without seasoning it’s pretty rubbery and tasteless, but combined with the right flavors it’s spot on — especially here in a spicy, crunchy lettuce wrap.

The cooking method for the tofu is quite easy and just involves sauteing it with some soy sauce, chili powder, and Sriracha. It’s a good beginner tofu recipe, if you’re looking to give it a try. We added some cashews for protein and loaded up on rice, which make the wraps a bit more filling.

Thanks to Eden Farms for the delicious lettuce!

Easy. Delicious.

‘Nuff said.

Notes:

-A bit hard to eat, but worth it.
-Easiest to make with this kale pesto white bean dip on hand.
-Toothpick optional, but it does help (at least for a photo).
-Pea shoots. Try ‘em.

There’s nothing more delightful than bright and happy pea shoots after a long, gray winter. We found these from Harvestland Farm at the winter farmer’s market a few weeks ago, where the farmer happily cut off a bunch of the shoots growing out of a small flat.

Pea shoots are just baby pea plants — which are cut before they grow into actual peas. The fun part is that they taste like a bite of concentrated spring; just like a pea, but more delicate and leafy. You can use them in salads, on stir fries, on sandwiches, and more.

Here we’ve made a tartine – French for “open faced sandwich” – using pea shoots and a delicious honey lemon Greek yogurt cheese from the market (from Trader’s Point Creamery – if you’re local, you should check it out). We topped it with a chickpea mash for some extra protein — which was actually quite good itself! If you can’t access yogurt cheese, you could use any type of cream cheese, or even make homemade yogurt cheese (it’s actually quite easy – here’s our recipe).

Have you made anything with pea shoots? Let us know if you’re inspired to try them out.

And, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Last year we made…

In our Healthy + Whole series, we’ve been exploring what keeps people out of the kitchen. So far, we’ve talked about time and fear. Now, let’s talk inspiration.

I can’t cook.

This is something I used to say to myself on a regular basis, so much so that it became my reality. It was pretty accurate, but really only because I didn’t want to cook. I could think of 20 better things I could do with my time. I wasn’t inspired.

Somehow, through a series of events and different people coming into my life, that changed. My business partner started to share her love of fine cuisine. I tasted the best food I’d ever eaten from a local woman chef. Our friends impressed us with homemade sushi, which spawned a regular dinner party rivalry. We read the book Food Matters, which made us start to care about what we ate. We watched Julia Child and her exuberant enthusiasm for food and cooking. We discovered farmer’s markets, full of passionate people and the freshest ingredients we’d ever brought home.

We got inspired. Suddenly food and cooking mattered. We were connected to a host of inspiring people who taught us food could be exciting: a place of passion, creativity, and love.

What about you — who (or what) inspired you to cook? Or, do you need inspiration to get started?

Calling all winter squash! It’s about to turn to spring here in Indiana, and our pantry is full of random varieties of squashes we’ve collected from the market all winter long. We can’t wait to bust out spring produce like pea shoots and asparagus, but it’s not quite that time yet. Here’s a recipe for any of you looking to use some squash in the pantry before spring is here.

Inspired by a mini Hubbard squash from Randy of Stout’s Melody Acres, we created this recipe on a whim with our friend Erin for a dinner with the lovely Annie of Annie’s Eats and her husband, Ben. Along with some of Randy’s delicata and butternut squash, we came up with this creamy spiced soup.

It’s seasoned with Indian-style spices (curry powder, garam masala, and cumin), mixed with a bit of coconut milk, and topped crispy quinoa and pepitas to garnish. It was the perfect main course for a relaxed evening, with just the right amount of spice, complexity, and heat. We served it with whole wheat chapati and a side salad. I must say it (and the crispy quinoa topping) are one of my favorites to come out of our kitchen this year.

You know those recipes that are special not just because of the taste but the wonderful company they were enjoyed with? This is one of those.

In the meantime, I’m taking off for Cambodia and Laos tomorrow! I’m headed back to the Green Mango Cafe where we wrote our benefit cookbook last year, to teach cooking and English, hang out with the young women there, and do some photo work.  I’m so excited to share my time with you; I’m hoping to update our Facebook and Instagram while I’m there, and post few updates on the blog when I return. Check out the cookbook if you’re interested – all the proceeds go to the program, which benefits at-risk women in Cambodia. Thanks to all of you for your support of this program – it means so much to us!

Just a few days and I’ll be on a plane headed across the world to Cambodia and Laos for 30 very long (and lonely) hours of travel time on my own. How to eat when travelling is in the top of my mind, and I’ve been pondering snacks that can satisfy. Luckily, a perfect idea is just in front of my nose: this quinoa granola we made this weekend.

We had a blast this weeken visiting the market, tinkering around in the kitchen, and coming up with ideas for Healthy + Whole and other projects with our friend Erin of the blog Naturally Ella (which you must check out if you haven’t visited). Every time we’re together, we’re reminded of how similar our styles and approaches are to food and eating — embracing the good, enjoying the not-as-good in moderation, no rules, no diets — just fun in the kitchen!

This recipe was born of Alex’s idea of a crunchy garnish for a soup (coming soon) and Erin’s quick web searching skills. The interesting part is that instead of oats, this recipe uses uncooked quinoa! We were all a bit wary of eating the quinoa raw, but being a seed and not a grain, it turned out perfect — delightfully crunchy, sweet, and packed with nutritional punch. It was quite filling, more so than a traditional granola, and a great protein-filled (and gluten-free) treat.

Since this recipe is easy to put together and a great way to start to explore healthy snacking, we’ve tagged it Healthy + Whole to go along with that project. (Just don’t eat the whole jar!) Throw it on yogurt, eat it with milk, or just dry as a quick snack on the run.

PS We received this quinoa as a gift from Fair Trade USA in honor of the United Nations Declaration of 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa. There’s currently quite a bit of talk out there about ethical growing of quinoa. To us, it’s important to know that growers treat farmers, communities and the land with respect and ensure sustainable growing and business practices, so we were glad to hear that the company, Alter Eco, is committed to doing so!

I must admit, it’s hard for me to think of anything but an upcoming trip to Southeast Asia! But in the meantime, I’m going to share with you about oatmeal muffins. We first tried cooking with oat flour using this gluten-free pancake recipe from Cookie + Kate. We loved that instead of the traditional white flour, this recipe simply uses oats ground in a food processor (or oat flour, if you want to buy it pre-ground).

However, we’re not really pancake people (I know, I know – we should be! But neither of us are usually ready for sweet in the morning), so we decided to try the concept out on muffins instead. Make no mistake, these are no fluffy or buttery muffins — they are dense and cakey, with a texture akin to a corn muffin. But with that in mind, they’re quite satisfying. They’re a great way to add a “bread” item to a meal that also happens to be gluten free. I like them best with honey, or topped with a bit of butter.

We were happy that this baking venture worked out — we’re generally not huge bakers unless it’s pizza-related (we’ve had our fair share of fails in the baking realm). The recipe is quite simple and comes together quickly — and, it doesn’t require any special ingredients.

Thanks again to all of you interested in and excited about the Healthy + Whole project!  Instead of a post this week, we’ll be hosting a Google Hangout this Saturday, March 9 at 4:30 pm EST with our friend Erin of Naturally Ella, to chat more about healthy eating, food, and home cooking!  It’s basically a video conference where you can ask us any questions (they’re pretty cool – even the President did one a few weeks ago!). We’ve never tried this before, but thought it would be an interesting way to connect. You’ll just have to join Google Plus to do so (don’t worry, it’s fairly painless) and click here for the invitation. Hope to talk to you then!

More about Healthy + Whole…