I am usually not short of words or lacking descriptions, but, this particular post has taken me so long because I have been teetering in the balance between “keep going” and “stop now” for months. Much like the closing miles of an endurance race, when the brain and body disagree about what’s best, my mind and heart have had differing opinions on what to do.

So. I’ll just rip the band-aid right off: The time has come to hit the stop button on new content for this blog. I wanted to say “the pause” button to soften the blow, but, that is not true. In my mind, right now, it’s the stop button.

When I started Test Kitchen Tuesday five years ago, I honestly never thought I would still be running it five years in the future. I had lots of ideas and energy and time to build a blog, maintain it, and see what happened. I never would have guessed it would have been as successful as it has, that I would have found a niche I didn’t set out to find, or that I would write and publish a book along the way.

For all of the experiences, knowledge, and friendships this blog has brought, I am so grateful. You all let me write about whatever I wanted, on my own terms, and were so supportive along the way. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

But, like a candle flickering and flashing, its wick a burnt nub, its once solid wax melted, my energy to keep going has just about expired. My ever-evolving diet, once the source of great inspiration for new recipes and experiments, is so routine now that the new ideas have really started to fizzle.  We eat well — I won’t say I have it totally figured out because all diets are a continual evolution – but I don’t really feel the need to scour the earth to figure out “what’s for dinner” anymore and constantly try new recipes. I pretty much know what works for us and what doesn’t by now.

And sure, I still use my Ninja Blender daily, but, I have pretty much cracked the code on all the crazy different things you can do with it – there is just not much more to say there. I never intended this blog to be so focused around Ninja blenders – it just sort of happened by accident!

You all have been with me through several house moves, a remodel, a broken knee, and a few vacations, and it has been so fun to share my little lens into the world with you.

All that said, there comes a time when it’s time. Time to go about my daily life without thinking up what I’m going to post this week. Time to cook (or blend) a meal and not photograph it before eating or scramble to write down all the ingredient measurements before I forget. Time to just be. Now is that time.

I will still keep the site live indefinitely, and respond to new comments as needed, but am otherwise stepping away from the act of regularly blogging. Thank you for being in my life, and a sincere best wishes to all.

“We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.” ― Tim McGraw

 

 

I got a note from Wally over at The Weight Loss Lie recently with a very cool juice recipe he has developed.

We have a fatigue epidemic in the United States, no question. Ask most people how they are, and more often than not, you’ll hear “tired.” The frustrating thing to me is that often, “tired” is a big symptom of how a person eats. Sure, not getting enough sleep is an issue. I’m not debating that at all. But, often, putting the wrong foods in your body can make you tired and lethargic, even if you sleep enough.

Enter “energy shots” that guarantee they’ll give you a boost. Some are better on the “health” front than others, but for the most part I steer clear. And, that’s without even talking about the plastic waste generated from single serve shots!

Wally has taken out the middle man for you and devised a juice that you can make in your kitchen with a similar (actually better!) vitamin profile, so you may want to give this a shot. Ha. You see what I did there?

Here is the recipe from Wally, but I encourage you to hop over here and read his post as well, as it has a neat chart comparing ingredients.

For what it’s worth, I love sweet potato in homemade juice. It sounds odd, but until you try it, you just don’t know what you’re missing!

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato
• 1 large handful of spinach
• 2 large carrots
• 1 medium beet
• 1 green apple
• 2 leaves Swiss chard

Instructions

• Wash all produce well
• Add all ingredients into a juicer and enjoy

Editor’s note: I would add that you should add the ingredients from softest to hardest. This helps get all the extra pulp out of your juicer and makes cleanup easier. If you are going to make this with your Ninja Blender, add about 8 ounces of filtered water, pulverize as much as possible, and then strain with a mesh strainer or sieve.

About Wally

Wally is a health and nutrition blogger who is trying to help people learn that better health can come from eating simple, healthy foods that can be found almost anywhere. After losing 70 pounds and changing his health in countless positive ways he started The Weight Loss Lie to help spread the word about healthy eating.

Truth be told, there are a lot of things in the cupboards he eats that he doesn’t know about (ha!), and wouldn’t be able to identify. Spirulina isn’t one of the items I sneak into his food, but, I do put it in mine almost daily.

Algae may not sound all that great, but spirulina (and chlorella) are packed with nutrition. A teaspoon in your smoothie is fairly indiscernible, but adds a great array of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, K, B12,  iron, magnesium, and trace minerals. It is even a decent plant source of protein (2g per teaspoon) and appears to help with gut function and digestion, even helping suppress bad bacteria like e-Coli and Candida while improving good bacteria. Talk about a utility player.

Like anything in today’s toxic society – especially edibles that come from the ocean – you need to be careful if you choose to supplement with algae. I use the Nutrex Pure Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica.  After much research, they seem to provide the best quality spirulina that is grown in the United States. You can get this at Whole Foods or a natural market, or, on Amazon.

Before you start putting spirulina in your food – if you don’t already – it would be wise to read up on its benefits and uses. Here is a good article that covers its many benefits way more in depth than I can.

If you’re sold, let’s make a smoothie, shall we?

I have been having this smoothie for breakfast lately, and it keeps me going all the way until lunch, even after a morning workout.

Super Strawberry Spirulina Smoothie

Print this Recipe!

Makes: 1 smoothie

Recommended Ninja Blender Jar:

• Ninja Pulse: Single serve cup
• Ninja Kitchen System: Single serve cup
• Ninja Mega Kitchen System: Single serve cup
• Ninja Professional Blender: 72 ounce jar with standard blade
• Ninja Ultima: Nutri Ninja cup, or, 72 ounce jar without quad blade

Ingredients:

• 1 cup preferred non-dairy milk (I like unsweetened almond milk for this)
• 1 scoop preferred plain or vanilla protein powder (I likePlantFusion)
• 1 cup frozen organic strawberries
• 1/4 Hass avocado
• 1 teaspoon preferred spirulina
• 2 tablespoons Hemp Hearts

Method:

• Add all the ingredients except hemp hearts to the jar  of your blender
• Pulse 2-3 times to combine, then blend on “2” (medium speed) until combined
  • For Ninja Pulse, hold the lid down until combined
• Sprinkle hemp hearts on top of the smoothie and enjoy

Nutritional Breakdown:

But wait, there’s good news! You can make flourless brownies (or cookies) without tons of refined sugar. And, you can make them fairly healthy for you, too!

These brownies aren’t over-the-top sweet, but they do hit the brownie-craving spot (and I provide a recommendation for how much extra sweetener to add if you have a serious sweet tooth.

Much like the three ingredient oatmeal cookies, they’re a good replacement for something less healthy for you, but not an exact replica of what your grandma used to make. Because of the almond butter and avocado adding a punch of healthy fat, it’s likely just one will be “enough” – you will feel like you got your treat but not like you need to eat the whole pan. And, at under 100 calories each, you really can’t lose! (Confession: I did eat four over the course of a day “testing” these…)

I used a product called “The Vegg” as an egg replacer in mine. It was my first time using it, and I was really struck by how much it actually smells like eggs, without an ounce of egg in it. Incredible. I’m not sure that The Vegg is really designed for baking (it is really just fancy nutritional yeast), but it did work out okay for me. You can use real eggs if you want, or, other egg replacers like Ener-g (which would probably be better as it is designed to be used in baking), or even a flax egg.

I don’t like to make large batches of baked goods, healthier or not, so this recipe is for a small batch that I baked in a loaf pan. If you need a larger batch, double (or triple) it.

Flourless Brownies

Print this recipe!

Recommended Ninja Blender Jar:

• Ninja Pulse: 40 ounce jar with standard blade
• Ninja Kitchen System: 40 ounce food processor bowl with standard blade
• Ninja Mega Kitchen System: 64 ounce food processor bowl with standard blade
• Ninja Professional Blender: 72 ounce jar with standard blade
• Ninja Ultima: 72 ounce jar with quad blade inserted

Makes: 8 brownies in a loaf pan; for an 8×8 pan, double this recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Hass avocado
• 1 medium ripe banana
• 2 tablespoons almond butter (unsalted if you have it)
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (add 1-2 tbs more if you have a big sweet tooth)
• 1 flax egg or equivalent egg replacer, or 1 whole egg
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
• 1/4 cup almond flour/meal
• Optional 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips of your preference

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Puree avocado and banana in a food processor or high-speed blender until very smooth (blend on “2” for most Ninja Blenders)
• Add other ingredients and blend on low speed until the batter is smooth (“1” for most Ninjas) – you may need to scrape down the side
• If using chocolate chips, add these last after the mixture is fully blended and pulse 2-3 times to combine
• Pour batter into a loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean
• Let cool and slice into equal squares

Nutritional Breakdown:

For 8 brownies without added chocolate chips

“Aruba, Jamaica…ooh I wanna take ya

Bermuda, Bahama…”

What in the world does an old Beach Boys song have to do with today’s post?

2Chili has been singing Kokomo around the house for days. It took me a while to realize this is because the actors on Two and a Half Men sang it in a recent episode and it stuck in his brain!

Anyway, with all that tropical influence going on around the house, I was inspired to make an easy tropical treat and these coconut Lara Bar wanna-be bars were born.

Don’t like coconut? Check out some of my other faux Lara Bars:

• Apple pie
• Blueberry
• Peanut butter cookie and cherry pie
• Ginger

Coconut Lara Bars

Print this recipe!

Makes: 6 bars

Recommended Ninja Blender Jar:

• Ninja Pulse: 40 ounce jar with standard blade
• Ninja Kitchen System: 40 ounce food processor bowl with standard blade
• Ninja Mega Kitchen System: 64 ounce food processor bowl with standard blade
• Ninja Professional Blender: 72 ounce jar with standard blade
• Ninja Ultima: 72 ounce jar with quad blade inserted

Ingredients:

• 12 Medjool dates, pitted
• 1/4-1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup raw pecans

Method:

For all but Ninja Ultima

• Optional: if your dates are on the older side, soak for 30 mins to 1 hour to soften up, then drain
• Pit the dates
• Add all ingredients to the jar of your Ninja blender, pulse 4-5 times to combine, then blend on “2” for 30-45 sections, until the mixture comes together (you should be able to pinch it together with your fingers)
• Put the mixture onto half of a piece of wax paper, fold the other half of the wax paper over the blob of mixture, and use your hands to flatten into a rectangle roughly 3/4” thick
• Cut into 6 equal pieces

For Ninja Ultima:

• Soak dates for 30 mins to 1 hour to soften up, then drain and pit
• Add nuts and coconut to the blender jar and pulse 4-5 times to combine
• Add dates to the blender jar and pulse all ingredients together until the mixture comes together  – you should be able to pinch it together with your fingers (I do not recommend steady state blending this recipe because it will jam in the corners)
• Put the mixture onto half of a piece of wax paper, fold the other half of the wax paper over the blob of mixture, and use your hands to flatten into a rectangle roughly 3/4” thick
• Cut into 6 equal pieces

Nutritional Breakdown:

I am a pretty even-keeled person and try not to do anything to the extreme. But, I am always researching, learning and adapting my life and my diet to try and be the best me I can be.

In five years (five years!), I have never issued a challenge on this blog, but I think the time has come. And, this one is truly a challenge. For all but the most loyal vegans, dairy is a daily staple (and it is hard to give up because of the way casein interacts with your brain – it is literally addictive).

If you sit down and think of all the places dairy finds its way into your diet, you might be surprised:

• Creamer in your coffee
• Milk in your cereal
• Butter on your toast
• Cheese on everything
• Ice cream and yogurt for dessert
• Whey protein powder
• Even “dipped” granola bars can include dairy by-products

You get the picture. Dairy is a big part of a lot of people’s lives, but, does it need to be?

Y’all know I am not the type to stand on a soap box and preach about things, but, I do want to share my experiences with ditching the dairy, and, challenge you to try it as well, for just one (short) month. February is a great month for something like this, because it is the shortest month of the year! It is also a month when you may have fallen off your new year’s resolutions and are looking for something new to re-engage with them.

There are a lot of health benefits that come with avoiding dairy, which I get into slightly below, but if you want to become really educated on what has to happen to provide you with your dairy fix, I suggest a little self-research on the topic. The dairy industry wants you to think “happy cows in California” are making your milk, but truly, that’s not really what’s going on. Honestly, it is so much easier to not know the truth behind the milk mustache. But, if you want to, here is a short article that exposes just a few of the issues.

My personal experience

Some time ago, I did food sensitivity testing to see what was causing swelling in the lymph nodes in my neck. The results came back overwhelmingly that I needed to steer clear of all dairy (and caffeine, gluten, and a few other items).

So, I gave it up, along with all of the other items on my list, and the swelling in my neck went down. Magic! Also, my skin cleared up (even in my late 30s, I still battle the acne demon from time to time), and these little bumps I get on my thighs went away. (TMI, sorry.)

Over time, I added  most everything from my verboten list back in, including the occasional dairy, which turned into fairly frequent cheese on my sandwich, pizza, and every now and then, some ice cream.

My lymph nodes didn’t swell back up, but as you might imagine, I started getting breakouts again, and those mystery bumps on my thighs came back.

You’d think I’d make the connection. But, the side effects I was experiencing came on slowly, and I didn’t really think about it.

And, then I did. I stopped dairy again cold turkey.

Within a week, my skin cleared back up and those pesky bumps on my thighs went away again. It was so clearly cause-and-effect that I was amazed. I also started sleeping really deeply and waking up invigorated and ready to start my day.

That’s when I realized that a one-month no dairy challenge could probably help a lot of people. A concentrated effort to avoid dairy for one month will let you know if it is behind any of your little annoyances.

If not, great! But if so, wouldn’t you like to know?

How to adjust to a dairy-free life

I’m going to keep it real. Going dairy-free can be a challenge at first – see the list above with everything it’s in!

But, like anything you set your mind to, it can be done. There are also lots of workarounds.

• You like yogurt? Buy coconut milk yogurt
• Pizza fan? Get non-dairy shredded cheese (they even have this at Trader Joe’s), but be careful of soy cheese, as it almost always has casein in it
• Ice cream fanatic? Buy coconut, almond, hemp, or rice ice cream

You get the picture. Whatever it is you love there are non-dairy equivalents out there if you look for them. I have been thinking about trying to make non-dairy cheese at home, and will of course keep you all posted on how that comes out.

With that, I hope I have at least given you something to think about. Even if you are not even close to considering this idea now, think about it. Ruminate on it. Do you research.

And then, let me know in the comments if you are in!

You find something you like, and you stick with it, because, well, you like it.

Why branch out?

I have been like that with salad dressing for years. I have a balsamic vinaigrette dressing that I like, so, that is what I make. Sometimes I use hummus instead of salad dressing (try it – your life will never be the same), but generally, salad dressing is balsamic vinaigrette.

And, that’s just plain silly!

This recipe was sent to me by my lovely Aunt Debby, and I have been remiss in making it for months now. Months!

Don’t wait months to make this!

It uses ingredients you most likely have on hand (except perhaps cilantro). It’s oil free, and it’s a great way to creatively use that ripe avocado you have sitting on your counter.

The lemon (or lime juice) will keep the avocado from oxidizing, you can get a few days’ worth out of this. The recipe below made enough to fill my 8 oz bottle.

Creamy Avocado Dressing

Print this Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup maple syrup (or honey) Juice from one lemon or lime 1 clove garlic ¼ cup cilantro ½ small jalapeño (optional) ¼ cup water (or more) to thin Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

• Add all ingredients to your Ninja Blender Jar (single serve or NutriNinja cup if you have one)
• Pulse 2-3 times to combine, then blend on “2” until creamy

Nutritional Breakdown:

For 8, 1-ounce servings:

Odds are, you’ve had miso soup, even if you don’t know that you have. It’s a common appetizer soup in Asian dining. A teriyaki restaurant we used to frequent serves a small bowl with every dinner. That restaurant incarnation was simply broth with some scallions, but my version is a little more colorful and filling. You can eat this as a meal or a snack.

Miso soup is nourishing and warming. And, if you struggle to get enough probiotics in your diet, it’s an easy and economical way to do so. Not so sure about miso? Check out some of the benefits here.

When researching miso soup recipes, a common theme was the inclusion of either kombu (dried kelp) and/or dried bonito (fish). I didn’t have either of these on hand, so I whipped up a version of the soup that requires neither of those items. By the way, if you make your own beans from dried, kombu is a great way to release the gasses prior to cooking – more on that some other day!

A last tip to make this even faster is to buy already shredded veggies. Trader Joe’s sells shredded carrots, chopped mushrooms, and a bagged salad called “Cruiciferous Crunch Collection” that make this soup souper fast.

One Pot Miso Soup

Print this recipe!

Serves: 2

Time required: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 small yellow onion, medium dice
• 2 handfuls of shredded cabbage, kale, or other preferred cruciferous veggie
• 1 handful of shredded carrots
• 1 bunch scallions, diced (green and white part)
• 1 cup cleaned and chopped preferred mushrooms
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1-2 tablespoons of mellow white miso (to your taste)
• Optional: 1/2 cup diced tofu or cooked lentils

Method:

• Sauté onion and oil until onion is translucent
• Add cabbage, carrots, scallions and sauté 2-3 minutes
• Add mushrooms and vegetable broth (and tofu/lentils if using); bring to a low simmer, cover, and simmer 3-4 minutes
• Reduce heat and stir in miso until dissolved, and warm another 2-3 minutes (do not boil miso)

Nutritional Breakdown:

Based on using 2 tablespoons Westbrae Organic miso.

Today, I have something that is going to knock your socks off. It’s super economical, and perhaps the best-working mud mask I’ve ever tried. You have to mix it yourself, but it only takes two ingredients: Bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar (or water). This mask does a great job of shrinking pores and improving the appearance of any impurities in your skin. I think it even reduces the appearance of fine lines.

Fair warning about this mask – as it dries, it tightens on your skin, making it hard to hold a conversation. So, I apply it when I’m home alone to skip potentially awkward conversations that have me saying “mmm-hmmm” a lot! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

DIY Facial

Materials:

• 1 tablespoon bentonite clay
• 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
• Optional: 1-2 drops essential oil like lavender, peppermint, or orange oil (this improves the smell of the mask – a little goes a long way)
• One resealable plastic container
• Non-metallic stir stick

Method: Mix all ingredients in a small plastic or glass container with a non-metallic stirrer (good options: chop sticks, candy apple stick, cuticle stick), putting the bentonite clay in first. A re-sealable container is good because you can refrigerate what you don’t use and use it later.

When you add the apple cider vinegar, the  mixture will start to bubble.

You should have a fairly thick paste-like substance when combined:

To use:

• Apply a thin layer on your face and let sit for about 20 minutes until firm
• Remove by layering a wet paper towel on your face to loosen the mask, and wipe away as much as possible to avoid the mud going down the drain; It will take 2-3 paper towels to get the bulk of the mask off
• Rinse remaining residue from your face
• You can store unused mask in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Note: Your face may have a slight red color for about 30 minutes after removing the mask. This is normal. Second note: The container I use is recycled from some Tea Tree Oil face wipes I got at Trader Joe’s. Happy mud-masking!

Holiday treats are something to look forward to, for sure, but I always long for the normalcy of the rest of the year, to be perfectly honest!

So, with that in mind, today I have a super simple, super fast, and super savory waffle recipe for you. This comes from The Kind Diet. by Alicia Silverstone. A client gave me this book for Christmas, and it was an absolutely perfect gift. The book is well written, and the recipes are really unique, though a lot of them rely on ingredients that aren’t all that easy to find unless you live in a major metro area with good access to Asian food markets. I read it cover to cover in one sitting (on a road trip) and came away with lots of ideas for new recipes and a list of things to try that I had never heard of or tried before.

This recipe, however, is easy and delicious, and  you don’t need anything all that special. You can find miso paste at Trader Joes or any normal grocery store (look next to the tofu), and Whole Foods has a large selection of types.

In the book, Alicia has a vegetable mélange recipe that goes along with these waffles, but they are completely delicious on their own. You could make them a little on the sweeter side by adding dried cranberries and chopped walnuts, or any variety of add-ins to suit your tastes.

Make the rice ahead of time, and this is really a fast brunch recipe that you could serve with a fruit salad. For what it’s worth, I usually  make rice in big batches and freeze in 1-quart ziptop bags, then, I always have it on hand when I need it.

These waffles are really filling, so half will probably plenty for most people. If you are really hungry, you won’t be after this! Drizzle with a bit of pure maple syrup for a really unique treat!

Savory Brown Rice Waffles

Makes: Two large Belgian waffles

Time required: 10-15 minutes (assuming rice is pre-made)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all purpose)
• 1 tablespoon mild white miso paste dissolved in 3 tablespoons water

Method:

• Cook rice according to package instructions
• In a large bowl, combine rice and flour
• In a small bowl, dissolve miso paste in warm water (not boiling)
• Mix miso liquid into rice and flour mixture until completely combined; You may have to add a splash more water to bring the mixture together; It will not be runny like traditional batter, but will be a thick consistency
• Spoon some of the mixture into the middle of your waffle iron, and cook as normal until done (For my belgian waffler, about 1/2 of the mixture makes 1 waffle)

Nutritional Breakdown

Per waffle, based on 2 waffles per recipe.