Be Leafy!

Blending Comfort with Something Healthy!

2013-01-07T14:19:00.004-05:00

School has started back up again today for me, I'm feeling excited (and a bit overwhelmed) by my schedule. It's always a bit scary to go from a long holiday vacation back into the fray. So I was craving a little comfort food today....but still seeking a healthy and energizing option. I decided to make a yummy blender treat using:

1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
a little maple syrup

I tossed in my All-One rice based vitamin powder and a few ice cubes too. It was creamy, smooth, sweet, and absolutely delicious! You don't need a fancy blender to make this either -just a regular one will do. Treat yourself to a healthy, sweet snack once in a while. I hope everyone is having a great start the new year!

Easy PEAsy Chana Masala

2012-08-24T11:46:00.000-04:00

I love chana masala. It's an Indian dish made with chickpeas and it's super easy to make.
You'll need:
-Chickpeas (1 can or about 1/2 bag if you soak them) -1 1/2 Lemons -1 large Tomato -1 large Onion -3 Cloves Garlic -Orange/yellow curry -Turmeric -Red Pepper Flakes -Salt -Ginger -Oil (I use olive)
Chop the onion up and sautee it in the oil in a large pan. Add in the chopped garlic. Let that cook down about 5 minutes and then add in the chickpeas. Cut the lemons, juice them, and only add the juice. Let that cook a bit (about 5 minutes). Add in the spices. Be generous with the turmeric and curry. Add A bit of salt, ginger and red pepper. Add in chopped tomato. Let it cook about 5 more minutes. Taste everything. Add more of any spice if you wish. You can put this over quinoa, rice, or just have it on its own.
That's it! The entire dish can prepared in under 20 minutes. I like to add some humus on the side. YUM!

South Durham Farmer's Market!

2012-08-22T13:07:00.001-04:00

Finally! A South Durham Farmer's Market...Yay! This is very exciting. Check it out here http://www.southdurhamfarmersmarket.org/

Hours:

Open Saturdays year-round
from 8:00a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Rain or Shine
Location

Greenwood Commons Shopping Center
5410 Nc Highway 55
Durham, NC 27713

Give Up The Processed Grains...For Breakfast

2012-08-22T11:42:00.001-04:00

The hardest thing for me to adopt a more natural and wholefoods diet has been breakfast. I was craving processed waffles, cereals, bread and other processed grain products. Of course on these foods I love to put Earth Balance and even agave (both which are processed). I have been gradually making the change to mostly fruit in the morning. I know I feel a lot better when I have a fruit filled breakfast vs one that is heavy on the processed carbs, oils, and sugar.

I like to create a plate of nuts and fruit and just have my fill. It's so easy to overeat processed grains anyway. I know that I feel much better throughout the day and have more energy when I have this type of breakfast.

How to Hide Raw Kale in a Fruit Smoothie

2012-08-21T22:33:00.000-04:00

I made the most amazing smoothie today with my Vitamix. And it even had a bunch of Kale in it! You can basically add kale leaves (minus the real thick stems) to any fruit smoothie and it's like it's not even there! I love kale, I really do - but this makes it completely impossible to talk myself out of not adding it. I used a whole banana but I am going to try using only 1/2 a banana next time. I added in blackberries, raspberries, banana, unsweetened coconut milk, ice and 2 large leaves of kale. Best smoothie I have had in a while!

Kale is considered a super-food because it packs so many important vitamins and minerals. It's full of fiber and even has cancer fighting properties. So no more excuses! Just toss some kale into a yummy fruit smoothie and drink it down.

Quick Vegan Broccoli Slaw

2011-11-18T15:00:00.003-05:00

This is a very simple and quick meal you can make for yourself when you are in a time crunch and you need...well..something crunchy!

1 bag of pre-washed ready-to-eat organic broccoli slaw

1 organic apple

apple cider vinegar

no-egg mayonnaise ( I like Trader Joes Brand)
Agave

Walnuts

Flax Seeds

Salt

Small amount of Mustard (optional)

In a large bowl add the broccoli slaw. Chop 1/2 apple into bite sized pieces and add it. You can add the entire apple if you like a lot of apple. Add in 1/4 cup walnuts and about 2 tablespoons of flax seeds. Add in about a tablespoon of vinegar. Add a 1/2 tablespoon of agave (you can always add more later). And about 1/4 cup of vegan mayo. Dash of salt. If you like mustard you can add a very small amount.

Stir it all up. Give it a few minutes for the vinegar to go to work on those veggies and soften them a bit.

Eat!

feel amazing

(not optional) :)

TED Talk on Raw Food

2011-11-18T11:44:00.001-05:00

Matthew Kenney - "Are You Feeding Your Body or Feeding Dis-ease?"

Ex-French Chef opens a Raw Restaurant in Oklahoma

http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxOKC-Matthew-Kenney-Are-You#.TsXKO418H7A.facebook

Hidden Sugar in Food

2011-11-15T10:07:00.002-05:00

Sugar: Incongnito

The most recent refined, processed food additive that is on my "No Fly List" is Sugar. It's in everything. It's added to "health" food, and it's hidden and disguised under many names. Sometimes it's called Cane Juice, Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Cane Sugar, Cane Juice Crystals, Milled Cane. A full list can be found here. Just because it is not refined, white sugar doesn't mean it is completely healthy for you. It's extra calories, it's processed in some way or another, it can spike your blood sugar, and it's low in nutrients.

This has to be an absolute nightmare for anyone who is diabetic, but what about people who want to avoid sugar and prevent sugar related diseases? Honestly everyone should be concerned with the levels of sugar in food. For instance, in a box of Organic, Flax seed, 7 grain flakes (sounds super healthy).....surprise, surprise: the second ingredient is sugar.

Does the fact that the cane sugar is organic, or in an evaporated form? Not really in my opinion. Whole Food's website states that there is slightly more vitamins found in these slightly less refined versions of cane sugar. I don't know if the small amount of added nutrients outweighs the fact that you are still consuming an added sweetener. I would like to find out if the glycemic load of Organic Cane Sugar is any different in the same quantity than regular cane sugar.

Organic cane juice is probably one of the most prevalent ingredients in processed health food these days. I see this stuff in cereal, non-dairy ice cream, food bars, juice and chips. It's less processed than refined, white sugar. I still think it's unnecessary in so many "health" foods. Try avoiding it and see what you end up buying at the store.

Here is a fairly comprehensive list of sweeteners -with some nutritional information about them.

I think the bottom line is if you can avoid adding extra sugar or sweetener to your food, then go for it.
Try to buy as fresh as possible. Buy whole grains without added sugar. Buy as many fresh, organic fruits and vegetables as you can. You can even buy coconut, almond and soy milk these days in which are unsweetened. Once you start looking for the hidden sugar in food you will be surprised at first how much sugar is actually in the foods you are inspecting and also you will start buying fresh, unsweetened, and less processed foods.

ps Another great reason to not eat so much sugar (hidden in processed foods) during the day is so you can feel a bit better about having a cookie or a small slice of pie once in a while!

Raw Food In Durham

2011-10-11T11:15:00.000-04:00

The vegetarian, vegan and raw food culture is alive and well in Durham, NC. Triangle Raw Foodists has started a catering business and 'Raw' Food Truck. How exciting is this? I am definitely going to be keeping up with these guys/gals.

If you would like to see some examples of raw food dishes, here is a menu they have posted on their website.

A Wonderful Change of Season

2011-09-13T17:39:00.001-04:00

Why hello there blog! It's been a while I know! The season is changing, in many wonderful ways. I am inspired, and feeling extremely motivated to start up again. Mostly, I just want to share what I've learned so that I can inspire others. So how have you all been? Did summer treat you well? Did you treat yourself well?

I have been trying to get to the farmers market on Wed. as much as possible to buy all those wonderful local, organic vegetables. I've been getting back into yoga lately again and finding that I really enjoy the detoxifying, rejuvenating and relaxing restorative yoga routines. And I have been meditating and cultivating mindfulness - this assists in clearing the mind so that creative thoughts can come through more easily.

I have found that: 1) keeping up with eating a fresh, organic plant-based diet, 2) walking and doing restorative yoga regularly, and 3) staying happy and focused through meditation -has been a plan that works for me.

This is why fad diets and gimmicky exercise programs do not work. Because the body craves a balance. Your body tries very hard to be in harmony -so work with it!

Ferns, Bromeliads and Other Shade Plants

2011-07-17T11:45:00.001-04:00

Here are a few pictures of my ferns (they are very happy) and some Bromedliads I got on sale (lol). They are all very happy - since they are getting absolutely 0 direct sunlight.

I have this crazy idea that I want to create a Ferntopia in the back of my house. I will need to get a covering for the deck because there is a bit of sun back there, but not much. I might even be able to plant more Holly Ferns back there. I will keep you updated!

Blackberry and Flax Organic Pancakes

2011-07-15T10:21:00.000-04:00

I made a quick batch of pancakes this morning from scratch and they came out AHHHmazing.

Here's a before and after:

My Saturday Morning, 10 Grain Cereal Mix and More

2011-07-09T11:05:00.000-04:00

I'm mostly a cereal girl, or a toast girl in the morning. But I bought a Bob's 10 grain hot cereal mix yesterday for a dollar (it was the sale of the century) and I decided to try something different this morning. I'm really glad I did! I added in some Earth Balance butter, amber agave and some extra flax seeds, and a bit of sea salt. Yum Yum Yum. I just wish the had this in an organic variety!

Oh and if you ever had any doubts about Agave - let me help put your anxiety to rest about that. Agave is AMAZING. I prefer the amber variety, it's really the perfect consistency and sweetness. It's better than honey (and I really love the taste of honey). I picked some up for about $3.99 at Food Lion, it was organic too!

I want to make some multigrain, flax, blackberry muffins today - I love having muffins around to just munch on. They make me happy. I looked into how to make vegan buttermilk and it's super easy! Just take a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and add to it up to a cup of your favorite nondairy milk. Bam -instant vegan buttermilk. So easy :)

I went to the doctor this week to have an annual check up and I swear I caught a cold from the doctors office! Can you believe that? I haven't had a cold in a really long time and then I get one from going to a preventative checkup. lol.

My mom is stopping by with some Emergency fizzy drink supplements for me and of course I took my All One multivitamin this morning as well. I highly recommend it for anyone (and vegans).

So there you have it. My morning adventure with fighting off a small cold and making some really yummy hot 10 grain cereal. And thinking about a million other fun things :P

Rice Dream Ice Cream and Organic Fresh Bread at Food Lion

2011-06-28T20:39:00.000-04:00

Food Lion is seriously awesome lately. Today I bought multi-grain organic fresh baked bread made by Natures Place for $2.99 (a huge sliced loaf). I also picked up a pint of Rice Dream Mint Carob Chip for $3.99. I'm finding cool new organic products everyday at Food Lion.

Sometimes you just need to buy the finer things in life and enjoy :)

Tomorrow is the Durham Farmer's Market - I'll be picking up a bunch of veggies there hopefully! I'm thinking some baby swiss chard. I love to saute it in olive oil, fresh tomato, chopped garlic and spices. Toss some nutritional yeast on there and whoah - it's amazing.

I cooked a pretty good dinner tonight. I tried Panko bread crumbs and fried up some tofu with it.
To recreate the egg wash I used NRG Egg Replacer -with ground pepper, garlic powder, sea salt and spices. That went on top of a vegetable stir fry with fine rice noodles.

I've been buying about 90% all organic in the stores and at the farmer's market. So far so good! A check out person at Food Lion asked me a bunch of questions today about eating organic, he said he wanted to try out organic milk. I was cool talking to him about it and I hope I gave him some good advice and inspiration!

New Love for Ferns

2011-06-28T20:23:00.002-04:00

I have a shaded window box outside my front porch window and I've been thinking about what to plant there for a really long time now.

I decided to go with hardy holly ferns and more delicate lacy ferns. Ferns are hardy plants that tolerate total shade, moist soil and they don't like to be bothered too much.

I planted a Fortunes Holly Fern and a Japanese Holly Fern - both are fine in complete shade, moist soil and can be grown in containers.

I also planted a "Lady in Red" fern.

I'm working with the shaded space I have and ferns are just the best plant to work with.

I'll take some pictures as they get settled in :)

If you have shaded areas in your home the Fortune's Holly makes a great houseplant!

Food Incubators for entrepreneurs in Durham, NC.

2011-06-26T11:24:00.001-04:00

Food Incubators for entrepreneurs in Durham, NC. The more of these that open up the more amazing food we will have to eat! Support your local food incubators.

Here is a great article I read this morning called, Kitchens for Hire. Great read! Kitchens for hire - Food - NewsObserver.com

Small Farms and Organic Certification

2011-06-26T11:13:00.001-04:00

You know I've been trying my best to buy all local and all organic food lately. I've been buying more organic than local -because the store is so close to my house (ah sweet and seductive convenience).

After heading out to the Durham Farmer's Market a few times over the past month I starting thinking about the USDA organic certification label and what it really means. I did a few searches on becoming certified and how hard it is for small, local farms to become certified. I found some great information and most of it comes straight from NCSU extension program "Growing Small Farms"

The USDA organic certification process if rigorous and just the application alone costs almost $300.
The NCAT’s Organic Crops Workbook Is a decent place to start if you're looking for a workbook and checklists to see where you are on the path to getting your farm certified.

At the farmer's market in Durham, NC which is brimming with small, local farm goods - I really don't see to many of them sporting the USDA logo. Most of them will have signs explaining what their crops are and what they are not. Most of them seem fairly honest about their practices -they take this stuff pretty seriously, because it is their livelihood.

The USDA stamp seems the most prominent and meaningful in a huge grocery store setting where you have zero contact with the farm or farmer - and there is really no other way to know when you are buying the product right then and there.

Earthbound Farms in California is a huge supplier of organic produce to grocery stores across America and carries the USDA logo. The food from Harland's-Creek says this about their chickens:

-grown on a pasture that they can munch, scratch in, and explore;
-fed an all grain diet and vegetables from the farm;
-antibiotic and hormone free,

They also have to document their organic farming procedures -so basically you can get organic produce from frganic crop farming proceduresarms which are in the process of becoming certified which can take a while.

When in doubt talk to the farmer at the farmer's market - knowlege is power and most of them are really nice and love to talk about their farms and vegetables. If they seem busy or stand-offish just buy from a farmer who will talk to you about their organic practices. Don't be shy now!

Farmers Market Saturday -Durham, NC

2011-06-26T10:23:00.000-04:00

Ah the farmer's market. It's busy, it's crowed, and if I had an endless supply of money I would buy just about everything there.

It's a fun, colorful and slightly stressful shopping experience -where you are pretty much gartenteed to meet the farmer who grew the zucchini you are about to purchase.

I prefer the farmers market on Wed. afternoon. But Saturday has it own charm, and a lot more selection/prices/farmers for just about anything you could possibly want to buy.

I'm a vegan -but they do sell local, humanely and sustainably raised animal products. They have homemade baked goods and bread. There is usually someone selling handmade soap and other products.

I bought a few tomatoes which where grown without pesticides. Yay.

Speaking of tomatoes, mine are doing really well! All 3 of my tomato plants are growing tomatoes. It's been a really good start (so far). Just keeping an eyes on them and making sure everything is going smoothly. I'll research issues as they arise. I will keep you updated.

..And get out to the farmer's market! :)

King Corn - What are they growing out there?

2011-06-24T21:41:00.001-04:00

Excellent documentary about the subsidized corn industry. Most of the corn grown in Iowa (think 100's of thousands of acres) is hard, inedible, flavorless, contains hardly any key nutrients and most of it is turned into High Fructose Corn Syrup and animal feed. Farmers are paid by the government to make their farms as big as possible to yield as much corn as possible. Huge corn surpluses have led to the creation of confined animal operations and the High Fructose Corn Syrup industry.

It's disgusting -but highly informative! http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/kingcorn/

It's also on Netflix. Set aside an hour or 2 of your day (with friends if possible) and watch it!

This movie is a real eye-opener and only further reinforces my decision to eat organic, local, fresh products.

Durham Farmers Market Wednesday

2011-06-22T17:56:00.001-04:00

I finally got a chance to check out the Durham Farmers Market on a Wed. Its really awesome and not crazy like it is on Sat. morning. I was able to talk to the farmers and ask a lot of questions. I picked up a BEAUTIFUL jade succulent plant from a farmer who said he takes clippings every so often from the "mother plant" and sells them. He also said it will bring me luck :)

I love it here is a picture of it http://twitpic.com/5fcs3s

I also bought some baby swiss chard - it looks amazing! I'm going to saute it with cherry tomatoes, garlic and olives. Yumville here I come!

If you are new to shopping at farmers markets or have a social anxiety disorder... definitely check out the Durham Market on a Wed. You'll be glad you did!

Buying Organic Produce at Harris Teeter

2011-06-21T00:27:00.001-04:00

It's been about a week since I decided I was only buying organic food from grocery stores. It's been very easy and not the enormous challenge I anticipated.

I went to Harris Teeter near 54 and 55 in Southwest Durham and they had a pretty extensive collection of local and organic produce

Actually there was an entire wall of organic produce!

It was like being in a candy store -but instead the candy had weird names like "Organic, local Kale" and "Bulk Organic Spring Mix". Yum.

I found some local, organic bread from 9th Street Bakery there and it's been amazing with peanut butter and flax seeds for breakfast.

I was not able to find: organic corn tortilla (so I didn't buy them).

My entire Bill came to about 30 dollars - and I bought a few extras for a friend who was visiting. I estimate I spent about 25 dollars in organic food. About $5 to $10 more than average. It's not completely out of my reach to buy organic food. I would rather not eat out 4 times a month and buy all organic food once a week. It's giving up something which isn't all that great - to have something much, much better.

Harris Teeter's natural (and sometimes organic) store brand is: Naturals. I found that it not as affordable as Food Lion's natural/organic brand: Nature's Place.

The blue chips by Naturals are pretty crunch-a-licious. I can't find any information on the brand other than it' processed by Harris Teeter in Matthews NC.

I was not about to find the Highland seasonal organic wheat beer there, but hey did carry all a handful of other local beers.

There was also a mini-produce stand inside the store which carried local produce. I was not organic though (or is was not certified as organic).

I'm a bit on the fence about this conundrum. Should I eat local or organic? I want both. But sometimes farmers do not use pesticides or GMOs -but they do not carry the USDA organic certification. As of now, I would rather eat organic unless I know the where the food came from and I know they do not use pesticides.

I will need to post on the hoops farmers have to jump through to get the certification - I hear it's not easy!

The grocery store is just the beginning for me. I'm signing up for an organic CSA in the fall and I am trying to actually make it down to the farmers markets. I also will need to talk to the farmers who are selling and find out how they grow their crops.

Harris Teeter so far has the best selection and the most local produce I've seen. They are about on par with Food Lion in the packaged, canned, boxed and jarred food items. I will have to try Kroger next and see what that is like for buying all organic.

Have fun out there on your own shopping experiences. Remember to read, read, read the label! Buy as many local, organic foods as possible - for your health and the health of the Earth!

Researching Local, Organic Food in Eastern North Carolina

2011-06-14T10:57:00.003-04:00

I've been spending quite a bit of time researching local and organic food initiatives and organisations in and around the Piedmont NC.

Here's a list of the ones that stood out as being sites to keep an eye on:

http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org CFSA helps people in the Carolinas grow and eat local, organic foods by advocating for fair farm and food policies, building the systems family farms need to thrive, and educating and organizing farmers and the communities they serve.

https://piedmontgrown.org/ The Piedmont Grown logo is displayed with farm products grown, raised, or made in the North Carolina Piedmont. When you see the Piedmont Grown logo, you know you’re buying fresher foods that support local farms, strengthen the local economy, preserve rural culture, and protect the natural beauty of the Piedmont Region.

http://www.orangecountyfarms.org/pfap/GettingStarted.asp Whether you're starting your first business or an experienced food-entrepreneur, this guide will walk you through the steps to begin using the PFAP.

This site also has a calendar of all of the farmers markets times/days in the Triangle (Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh area)

	Tue	Wed	Thu	Sat
Carrboro		3.30-6.30p		7a-Noon
Chapel Hill	3-6p			8a-Noon
Hillsborough				8a-Noon
Efland				9a-2p
Eno River (Historic Hillsborough)				8a-Noon
Southern Village (Chapel Hill)			3.30-6.30p Opens 5/5
Durham		3.30-6.30p		8a-noon

That will definitely keep you buys for a while!

Researching Organic Durham CSAs (for real)

2011-06-14T10:47:00.002-04:00

So I've probably waited too long in the season to get involved with a CSA -but I can research and dream right?

I'm finding several choices for CSAs in Durham. I'm also making a point to get to the Durham Farmers Market on Wed.

I think my best bet for now is http://www.harlands-creek-farm.com/content/2023

Harlands Creek Farm CSA. I'd love to find out more about it. I know that they do have a twitter and I've contacted their owner for more infomation.

Since this is day 2 of trying to eat completely organic. I've been eating some of the organic produce I bought at Food Lion. And I am going to try to make it to the Durham Farmers Market on Wed to buy some local, organic blueberries on wed.

So far so good! I'm feeling more organic, local and sustainable already :)

Trying to buy all organic food at Food Lion. Is it Possible?

2011-06-13T18:40:00.004-04:00

I really needed to go grocery shopping today. But after posting last night I started to think "Can I buy all organic or mostly organic food at Food Lion?" Food Lion is the closest grocery store to my house. Therefore it saves me time and gas. So it's going to be my first experiment in buying mostly organic.

Most people I talk to don't know this but Food Lion has their own Natural brand called "Natures Place" Everything from this brand is 100% natural and most of it is organic. It's also very affordable. Nature's Place is distributed by DZA Brands, LLC in Salisbary, NC. I haven't been able to find out too much on DZA brands, but its interesting to know that they are local to NC. I will need to investigate more.

Anyway back to buying organic. I was able to buy a slightly limited variety of fruit and veggies organic including: cauliflower, romaine lettuce, carrots, onions and apples. Most of the produce was from Earth Bound Farm. I also found a jar of organic Bertolli tomato sauce, Natures Place red beans and even a 6 pack of local organic beer (which was the highlight of the shopping trip).

They have a small produce area set up between the cold salad dressing area and the regular produce where they display signs about local farms they buy produce from. This is also the area that has the organic produce. Its small - but its there.

Some items which I was not able to buy organic at Food Lion was: pita bread, hummus and tomatoes. Which really isn't a huge deal.

My bill was a bit more. About $10 more. But I think it's definitely worth it - for so many reasons. All in all it was a good experience and I was impressed in the amount of organic choices Food Lion offered. That said - there is definitely work to do. I'd love to see them carry Daiya cheese and Tofutti products again. I really miss them! I'd also like to see them carry more organic bread.

My friend and I were talking about splitting the cost of a organic CSA. I'm going to look into that now. Deeper down the rabbit hole I go -on the hunt for organic carrots.

Where do you get your local produce?

2011-06-13T18:39:00.003-04:00

Let's face it. We don't all live near a Farmers Market. We don't all have money to shop at Whole Foods everyday. CSAs are awesome and I've come very close to signing up for one, but not yet. Pick your own, seasonal and canning option -cool and novel at best. Probably not enough variety there for a long-term solution.

Even with a CSA, U-pick and farmers market - there will still be some items you'll probably end up at a store shopping for.

So this is where I am at with this. I fall into most of those categories. Someone like me who mostly eats plants without many exceptions -and who loves produce- doesn't have a very clear option for where to get the good stuff.

I know the story behind Food Deserts, but can it be possible that I live in a Local Food Desert?

I've been kicking around a lot of ideas lately about how to solve this issue. I guess I'm interested in it for many reasons, but mainly because I want better access to local produce.

Where do you shop for produce? What type of produce do you buy? Is local more important to you than organic?

This week I'm going to begin searching for ways I can start eating more organic and local produce. Starting to fit this into my life is just like anything else you have to work for I guess. I don't eat fast food - why should I buy most of my produce at a grocery store out of convenience? I'm willing to change and hopefully share my discoveries with others.

Or is there simply a way to have your veggies and eat them to?