Thursday 28 April 2016

Hidden Healthy & Deconstructed Cottage (Shepherd's) Pie



I watched the Marilyn Denis show the other day which was about opening ourselves up to new things. I found it quite inspirational for both food and in life. One of her guests was Julie Daniluk RHN and is a leading nutritionist. I love her enthusiasm and her health conscious approach! Today she was talking about how to bump up the nutrition for those folks eat too much of one thing... those who gravitate primarily to fast food, or who eat mostly veggies (no proteins), or those folks who primarily eat meat (no veggies). The idea was to open up your taste buds to new things and balance out your nutrition at the same time. Her strategy of choice was to hide the goodness in things that people tend to gravitate to, or as she called it... use "stealth" to get the good things in.

Whether you call it "stealth" or hidden healthy, the idea is the same. On the show, Julie had some excellent ideas and you can see them here so that you can open up your taste buds to new tastes and flavours! Hidden healthy is a great way to bump up your plant based protein, improve your fiber, and sneak in some extra nutrition, especially for those uncooperative family members!

Some of my successful hidden healthy include chili, spaghetti sauce, sloppy Joes, tourtière, and even meatloaf. In these items, I have simply used cooked lentils with the ground meat. Sometimes I reduce the meat by as much as half and slip in 1 to 2 cups of green or brown cooked lentils. In other cases, I just "bulk" up the dish by adding a little amount, up to about half a cup. It all depends on how well the lentils can be hidden. Spaghetti sauce or chili are dishes that are quite forgiving and as long as there is a lot going on, like lots of chopped up veggies, then I can safely add a larger amount of these nutritious pulses. In dishes like sloppy Joes, tourtière and meatloaf, lentils are added, but with a lighter hand to preserve the integrity of the original dish but also because there is not as much ability to hide much in them! Red lentils are great in dishes that get puréed and so you can hide a lot in your marinara sauce, lasagna meat sauce, and even in your broccoli soup.

So now, without further adieu, I give you one of my tried and true, family approved, hidden healthy meals. It is tasty, satisfying and really bumps up our veggie intake. Cottage Pie is one of my fall and winter go-to meals. It is economical, satisfying, and pretty darn tasty. Sometimes when I am in a hurry, I don't bake my cottage pie in a casserole. I call this my Deconstructed Cottage Pie. If you have a favourite Cottage Pie recipe (on this side of the pond we also call it Shepherd's Pie), you can certainly deconstruct your recipe too. 

This would also be a great recipe to make ahead. You could prepare the meat filling and do the potatoes up fresh on the day. The other thing I discovered was that this was a perfect recipe in which to hide lentils. I discovered that I could make this recipe more economical and incorporate some plant based protein with ZERO family uprising! Wooooot! 

There is a lot going on in the filling providing the perfect camouflage for green or brown lentils, so now I cut my ground meat in half and save the other half for another recipe and add in a cup and a bit of cooked lentils. To further hide the lentils, I found that mashing half the lentils into a chunky puree works like a dream too. Out of sight, out of mind really works.

Cook up your lentils; 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 cups water.


Sauté your veggies. 


Mix in your flavourings. Remember my budget tip for extra tomato paste? The tomato paste balls are from my stash in the freezer!



Add your broth and simmer for 30 minutes 



While your meat and lentil sauce is simmering, prepare and cook your regular potatoes and sweet potatoes. I like slicing in 1/4 inch slices for quick even cooking. 


Thicken the meat and lentil sauce with a flour and water slurry. Whisk until smooth!



Mix in your frozen mixed veggies. 



Ladle a few spoonfuls onto a plate and add a dollop or two of both kinds of potatoes. 


Deconstructed Cottage Pie 
 
1 large onion, medium dice
1 tbsp grape seed oil, or cooking oil of choice
2 stalks celery, chopped in a fine dice (nice but optional)
2 parsnips, chopped in a 1/4" dice 
4 oz cremini or button mushrooms medium dice (nice but optional)
1 lb lean ground beef or pork, pasture raised if possible 
OR 1/2 lb plus 1/2 cup  green or brown lentils + 1 1/2 cups water 
1 tsp dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or 2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp heaped Dijon mustard
2 cups beef broth, or chicken broth, organic if you can
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, depending on personal tastes
1 tbsp Tamari
1/4 tsp ground pepper, or to taste
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp stock or water water
3 cups fresh frozen mixed veggies (carrots, peas, corn and beans)

3 large potatoes, I like Yukon Golds or Russets
1/4 cup milk of choice
a drizzle of olive oil or melted butter
A generous pinch of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt

3 large sweet potatoes
1/8-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg (I like to use a whole nutmeg and use my rasp to freshly grate it)
A generous pinch of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt
 
In a medium, heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and parsnips and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until the water has evaporated and the celery is tender, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl.

In the same pot, add a little bit more oil and then scramble fry the ground beef or pork and break the meat up with a wooden spoon. Add in the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is browned, stirring regularly. Add the tomato paste, Dijon mustard, broth, Worcestershire sauce, tamari. If you are using the lentils, add them now with the cooked onion mixture. Add the stock and bring everything to a boil, stirring regularly. Lower heat to about medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. 
 
In a small bowl whisk together the flour and water. Make sure the slurry is lump free. Add this mixture to the meat mixture and stir until the sauce has thickened. If the meat mixture is not "saucy", add a little water or more stock so that the meat mixture is not dry and the sauce has a gravy like feel to it.
 
Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables and stir to combine. Bring back to the bubble, and simmer gently until the veggies have heated through, about 10 minutes.
 
While the meat mixture is simmering, get the potatoes going.  Peel the regular potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Place in a medium sized pot, cover with water and add about 1 teaspoon of salt.

Prepare the sweet potatoes in the same fashion except fill the pot about 1/4 full of water so the potatoes steam more than they are boiled. I skip the salt though. You can also cook them in a steamer if you prefer.
 
Cook the potatoes over medium heat until they are tender. 
 
Drain the white potatoes, mash and add about 1/4 cup of warm milk and a little olive oil or butter, salt and pepper to taste, and mash till light and creamy. Cover and set aside. Drain the sweet potatoes, mash and add cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg. Cover and set aside.
 
When the meat  mixture is all ready and both kinds of potatoes are done, you are ready to plate!
 
I like to put a few spoonfuls of the meat mixture in the centre of a plate and a spoonful or two of sweet potatoes and then the white potatoes as shown! Tada, deconstructed Cottage Pie.



 
 




Saturday 23 April 2016

Old Fashioned Apple & Raisin Bread Pudding




Today is a glorious day. Although it's still a little chilly out there, the sun is shining brightly and my internal batteries are getting charged as I sit in this window absorbing those lovely sunbeams. Add a hot cup of my guilty pleasure and some time to work on another blog post, I couldn't ask for a better start to the day!

After sorting and organizing my freezer last week, my mission was to use up my freezer finds and older pantry items. I'm happy to report that my mission is going well. I've tested my creativity and ingenuity for a second week with great success as demonstrated with my family's happy and satisfied tummies. My bank account is happy too!

I turned a little leftover spaghetti sauce into nifty pita pizzas using the meat sauce instead of the traditional pizza sauce. Then I topped them with some chopped zucchini, red peppers, a little grated cheddar and baked till the cheese was bubbly, a yummy invention! 


I made some amazing white bean brownies from a can of white kidney beans I had in my pantry, and as you know from my last post, my husband really enjoyed them, even after he found out about the beans! These will be made again, for sure! 


I also made my Deconstructed Cottage Pie filling with a half pound of ground beef and the mixed veggies from some recently discovered freezer finds. I had all the ingredients for my meals this week pretty much in stock so I only had to pick up a few fresh veggies for the week. Yes, shopping my freezer, fridge and pantry saved me some more cash this week too. I am definitely a happy camper!


You might recall that I found a whole bunch of frozen bread in my freezer last week. I also had some apples and eggs that needed to be used up to as well. At the time of my post, I was thinking bread pudding, which of course, is exactly what our grandmothers and their mothers before them would have made too!

Today, I would like to share that bread pudding recipe with you. This recipe is not the rich, drenched in cream recipe that bread pudding has become in many modern chef repertoires, but a little more like what my great Grannie would have made. Although this recipe was a little more frugal, it was tasty, and even felt a little decadent. In the end, it still satisfied that call for a sweet ending after dinner and made use of on hand ingredients. 

Here is a pic of the odds and ends I had of frozen bread. I usually hang on to the bread to make bread crumbs, but apparently, I haven't been using a lot of bread crumbs lately!


Old Fashioned Apple Raisin Bread Pudding

Cube enough stale bread or your freezer finds. White, whole wheat, multigrain, sprouted or even buns all work well. There should be enough cubed bread to generously fill a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. It should be gently heaped. 


Originally, I thought I might have enough cubed bread to make a 9 x 13 and an 8 x 8 pan of bread pudding, but after completing the preparation, I only had enough for a 9 x 13 pan. Sometimes cooking is not an exact science!


In a large bowl, combine the eggs and milk whisking thoroughly. Add the cinnamon, grated nutmeg, both sugars and vanilla (extract or ground beans). 



Add all of the bread and stir to coat all cubes. Stir in melted butter, raisins, and diced apple. The bread will float for awhile but it will eventually soak up the custard and sink. This should take about 15 minutes. 



While the pudding is standing, preheat the oven to 350° F. 

Once the bread has soaked up most of the custard, gently stir the mixture to make sure the apples and raisins are distributed throughout the pudding. Then, scrape everything into a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

 

Bake for about an hour until the bread pudding is set, slightly puffed, and a golden brown colour. 
 

Remove from the oven and brush lightly with the maple syrup. 



Serve warm!

Old Fashioned Raisin and Apple Bread Pudding 

INGREDIENTS:

Stale bread; enough to generously fill a 9 x 13 inch baking pan when cubed. It should be gently heaped. If you are short stale bread, top up with lightly toasted bread. 

2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
6 eggs
4 cups milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract or 2 tsp ground vanilla bean
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 cup raisins
4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped in a 1/2" dice

2 tbsp maple syrup

METHOD:

Cube your bread and generously fill a 9 x 13 inch baking pan so that the bread cubes are gently heaped. 

In a large bowl, combine the eggs and milk whisking thoroughly. Add the cinnamon, grated nutmeg, both sugars and vanilla (extract or ground beans). 

Add all of the bread and stir to coat all cubes. Stir in melted butter, raisins, and diced apple. The bread will float for awhile but it will eventually soak up the custard and sink. This should take about 15 minutes. 

While the pudding is standing, preheat the oven to 350° F. 

Once the bread has soaked up most of the custard, gently stir the mixture to make sure the apples and raisins are distributed throughout the pudding. Then, scrape everything into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. 

Bake for about an hour until the bread pudding is set, slightly puffed, and a golden brown colour. 

Remove from the oven and brush lightly with the maple syrup. 

Serve warm!


Sunday 17 April 2016

My Plant Based Journey Update & Brownies



It has been 2 years now since I started my eat more plant based and whole foods journey. I have been more mindful of where my animal products come from and I try very hard to eat as ethically as I can. I buy organic veggies as often as possible, and if my budget is tight, I choose organic for the veggies that tend to be sprayed most, like peppers, greens, and celery. Although I have always believed in having veggies on my plate at every meal, I think that for the most part, I have improved the family diet. I try hard to incorporate half my plate for veggies and sometimes fruit. Salads of mixed greens, kale, and spinach grace our table 2-3 times per week, and I try to go meatless for at least half of our meals.

I would like my family to eat more plant based as don't want to make TWO meals (one for me and one for them) AND I would like to keep my grocery expenditures down - after all, plant based protein is A LOT cheaper than meat, fish and poultry. In a perfect world, getting my family to willingly eat more lentils, beans and tofu would ROCK! This is easier said than done. Normally, I have to hide plant based protein.


Sadly, most of my completely plant based meals are not successful. Sometimes, no matter how I pitch them, they are not well received and the result is "don't make that again"! Ah, the trials and tribulations of a mom dragging her family along the eat more plant-based path! 

I have had to turn to subterfuge, creativity and my secret strategy of choice... "hidden healthy". Hidden healthy has been the most successful means to sneak in plant based protein since I'm not really allowed to cook much with lentils or beans; sadly the fam is just not feeling the love!

On the flip side, I shouldn't feel too badly. I have always tried to make sure veggies were part of our meals. I know we eat way more veggies now than we did before, so that in itself is a plus! I have managed to increase some plant based protein too, now that I have come to terms with the fact that I have to hide it. Slowly, I am learning how far I can go, shhhhhhhh! We are eating a lot more greens and more regularly (some of us not so willingly, right daughter #2?) and veggies generally cover at least half our plates. 

I have had good success with reducing dairy in general, finding dairy alternatives, and when we do have dairy, I have tried to keep the the quality standards high. Because of better store bought choices and more made at home options, I have been able to reduce the preservatives and mystery chemicals in our meals. I have even managed to successfully prepare more "better for you" desserts which have been very well received; I've even cleaned up some of my traditional ones too. 

When I actually think about all the WINS vs the losses, we aren't doing too badly after all. I need to revel in my successes and accept that my journey to eat better has gone pretty well over the last two years, even while dragging the non-believers along for the ride. For every not so well received meal, I need to remember those that were. There have even been a few that have achieved "Family Favourite Status"! I am a Wellness Warrior, and the war was not won in a day!

No matter your goals... trying to eat better, eat more plant based, to drink more water, consume less sugar, eat fewer processed foods, to eat more ethically or with fewer chemicals, or even just eat more home cooked meals, remember it is a process and positive changes take time, effort and practice. You can't change it all over night and there is always that crazy learning curve!

To celebrate the changes I have made and the changes you have made or are planning to make, I think we all deserve a treat. Best of all, it's guilt free and the perfect way to incorporate some plant based protein in your loved ones diets! 

For this recipe, I used my high speed Vitamix, but I think a good brand of regular blender should work. 

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

***UPDATE! My husband still really likes these brownies, even after he made me disclose the ingredients. A big WIN for me!***

1 - 19 ounce canned white kidney beans, about 2 1/4 cups 
1 1/4 cups milk of choice (dairy or non-dairy)
1/4 cup real maple syrup
3 tsp ground vanilla bean*
1/4 packed brown sugar **
4 tbsp coconut palm sugar
1 cup cocoa
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 cup walnuts

INGREDIENT NOTES:

* I believe you can substitute a good quality vanilla extract, but I think you would need about 1 – 2 tablespoons for the intensity of the vanilla in this recipe. 

** these brownies are not super sweet, more bitter sweet. If you prefer a sweeter brownie, I would be inclined to add another 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp of brown sugar. I prefer the bitter sweet and like to use better choices of sweeteners whenever possible. The choice is yours, but try to keep the brown sugar to under a 3/4 of cup to keep things as guilt free as possible!

________________________________________________________________
 
Line a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper with one strip going one way and another strip going another. I use a tiny dot of coconut oil or lard to anchor the paper to the pan. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.



In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder whisk to combine. Set aside. 

Place rinsed and drained beans into your blender. Add the all the ingredients except the flour mixture and nuts. Blend on high until the batter is super smooth. 




Pour into a medium sized bowl making sure to scrape out as much of the chocolatey goodness as possible. 



Add the flour mixture and the walnuts. Stir to combine well. 



Scrape the batter into the prepared 9" x 9" baking pan and smooth with an offset spatula or knife. 



Bake at 350°F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until skewer or toothpick comes out clean. 



Let cool on a wire rack in in the pan for about 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely. I use the parchment paper as handles. 

These brownies are tasty naked, but I just happened to have a chocolate mix in my fridges made of coconut oil, maple syrup and cocoa. When this mixture is cold, it creates a lovely chocolate crust I reheated this mixture and let it cool to room temperature. I spread it all over the top of the brownies and chilled in the freezer for about 20 minutes, until the topping was hard. Then I cut the brownies into squares, ready to be enjoyed. Remember to keep your brownies in the fridge to prevent the topping from melting!

From what I remember, I used the following proportions to make my chocolate topping:

1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. cocoa
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of pink Himalayan salt

Combine these ingredients over a low heat and whisk to combine and create a smooth chocolate sauce. Let cool to room temperature before you drizzle or cover your brownies.
 

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

INGREDIENTS:
 
1 - 19 ounce canned white kidney beans, about 2 1/4 cups 
1 1/4 cups milk of choice (dairy or non-dairy)
1/4 cup real maple syrup
3 tsp ground vanilla bean*
1/4 packed brown sugar **
4 tbsp coconut palm sugar
1 cup cocoa
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 cup walnuts

INGREDIENT NOTES:

* I believe you can substitute a good quality vanilla extract, but I think you would need about 1 – 2 tablespoons for the intensity of the vanilla in this recipe. 

** these brownies are not super sweet, more bitter sweet. If you prefer a sweeter brownie, I would be inclined to add another 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp of brown sugar. I personally prefer the bitter sweet and like to use better choices of sweeteners whenever possible. The choice is yours, but try to keep the brown sugar to under a 3/4 of cup to keep things as guilt free as possible!


METHOD:

In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder whisk to combine. Set aside.

Place rinsed and drained beans into your blender. Add the all the ingredients except the flour mixture and nuts. Blend on high until the batter is super smooth.

Pour into a medium sized bowl making sure to scrape out as much of the chocolatey goodness as possible.

Add the flour mixture and the walnuts. Stir to combine well.

Scrape the batter into the prepared 9" x 9" baking pan and smooth with an offset spatula or knife. 

Bake at 350° F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until skewer or toothpick comes out clean. 

Let cool on a wire rack in in the pan for about 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely. I use the parchment paper as handles.

Serve these brownies naked or add the chocolate topping. Chill in the fridge until the chocolate topping is hard. Cut into squares an enjoy. I kept my brownies in the fridge so the chocolate topping did not melt.



 

 
 


Monday 11 April 2016

My Shop the Kitchen Meal Plan


Happy Monday! 

My next post is about my process to create a menu plan based on "shopping my kitchen". I hope it will give you some ideas on how you can do it too!

The weather outside is frightful. We had snow AGAIN, but I'm feeling super content despite the lethargic start to our spring. I feel well rested, and am in my happy place, all thanks to a wonderful Sunday. Let me explain...

I was up super early to deliver the child to her job for a 7 AM start; I made a quick visit to the grocery store to pick up some fresh produce for the week and was home by 7:30. A promising beginning I would say. After my usual large cup of warm water to officially start my day, I even treated myself to a cup of Kicking Horse coffee, my favourite Fair Trade brand. I'll take that double double please, it's one of my guilty pleasures. Next up was a little banter on the Global News Feed about the government's approach to restricting E-cigarettes and vaping in public spaces. Then, I got to spend some quality time in my rec room near our wood stove with my laptop to do some writing. A weekend treat for me! Yes siree, Sunday was a good day despite the fact that we still needed the wood stove in April, but it is Canada after all, and the weather can sometimes be a little crazy. 
 
My last 2 budget posts inspired me to challenge myself and prepare my meals for the week entirely from items I had on hand. My goal was to shop my freezer, fridge, and pantry. This little challenge arose because I had just emptied, re-organised my freezer, and updated my inventory list the week prior. I needed to make some space. Why did I have to make space you ask? Why to add some more stuff of course! I had to make room for some of the pork my mother-in-law stored for me in her freezer. You see, I purchased half a side of organic and pasture raised pork from a fabulous local farm (Strattons Farm) at the end of the summer and I didn't have enough space for it all, so my Mother-in-law helped me out. So long story short, while tidying and sorting, I found a few items that had been missed in previous inventory list additions and provided a visual reminder to make use of several items that had been kicking around in the freezer for far too long.

Check out my crazy full freezer! You can see why it's so important for me to keep an inventory list! Believe me, it works. This freezer is very busy. My freezer stores blueberries and strawberries from last years growing season, my half pork order, sale items purchased in larger quantities, several organic whole chickens, and my Bulk Barn purchases, like nuts and seeds, to keep them fresh.  You will also find my home prepared items like cooked beans and lentils, several jars, both large and small, of chicken stock and marinara, as well as freezer friendly make ahead meals too. And last, but not least, let's not forget the small bits and pieces of leftovers... Gravy pucks, leftover cooked meat and single servings of soup, sauces and the like. 


Michelle's Freezer, Fridge, & Pantry Finds

I found several bread bags with 3 or 4 slices of bread, including a collection of bread heels. Some of these were white (shhhhh, sometimes I cave to my daughter's wishes for squishy bread), some bags contained whole wheat, and other were multi-grains. I see a large bread pudding in my future. 

I also discovered half a package of smoked salmon from our Christmas Eve feast and the remainders of the ham from my Christmas Dinner part 2. The smoked salmon would elevate my creamy salmon, pasta and peas recipe to a new level as it is normally made with tinned salmon. I think that a few slices of that ham, finely diced will be a nice add in to a quiche.

Since spring is here, I decided that I better get my large jar of beef barley soup used up. After all, we won't be feeling like heavy soups like this, when and if the warm weather comes. I made a huge batch in January and froze a second meals worth.

I discovered 2 part bags of broccoli florets, both about one third full, one half bag of peas and unopened bags of mixed veggies, peas, and corn. I always like to have a few bags of frozen veggies on hand for those rare occasions that I have no fresh produce in the house or I need a super quick veggie side! I knew that the opened bags of frozen veggies really needed to be used up ASAP! Generally, I only use broccoli florets in my broccoli soup, but I would have to get creative with them since soup was already on the menu. I'm thinking that the quiche I've already thought of would be good spot for these and as an add in for a mixed veggie side. Presto, 2 part bags of broccoli florets used up!

I found a great stockpile of goodies to use up this week. I still have a loaf of bread, some Ozery Bakery Morning Rounds and some banana bread from a few weeks back which will be great for breakfasts and lunches too. I also had part of a container of leftover homemade Vitamix strawberry ice cream waiting patiently to be re-invented, I was thinking strawberry milkshake! These items, plus my regular inventory of organic pork and roasting chicken, frozen fruit, chicken stock, marinara sauce, and 2 bricks of cheese (bought on sale) made for a great jumping off point for my "no grocery store" meals!

Next, after checking over my freezer, I shopped my fridge and discovered a few items that needed to be used up too: I found a container with 2 servings of l mashed potatoes from last week, half a head of cabbage, a half dozen carrots, 3/4 of a bag of apples, 4 stalks of kale, 6 oranges, 3 lemons, half a head of broccoli and a half pound of butter PLUS my regular staples of nut butters, eggs, wraps, and condiments including Dijon mustard, mayo, and jam. Looking even better for a shopping free week of meal prep! I'm thinking that the veggies and the apples will become a warm cabbage and apple slaw - a perfect side with roast pork, the oranges can be used in fruit salads for breakfasts and lunches, and a few of the carrots will work in the mixed veggie side dish with the broccoli florets. 

My pantry is always well stocked with baking essentials like flour, various sugars, baking powder and dried fruits as well as a variety of dried herbs and spices. I still had plenty of onions, and potatoes from a few weeks back and I try to have plenty of oats, pasta, dried lentils & beans, canned tomatoes, pasata, and a few tins of salmon on hand. These are great pantry basics to have. I also have my lots of home canned apple sauce from last fall and several tins of maple syrup.
 
Here is the dinner meal plan I created for last week. It was based completely on the goodies I had stashed in my freezer, refrigerator and pantry (almost).
 
Sunday:  Roast pork, roasted potatoes, gravy, applesauce, and a side warm cabbage & apple slaw (sautéed shredded cabbage, carrots, chopped kale and apple chunks with a little cinnamon and maple syrup Mmmmmm). And for dessert, strawberry milkshake made with my homemade strawberry ice cream and some additional frozen strawberries. 




Monday: Beef barley soup with added frozen peas and homemade "Red Lobster inspired" biscuits made a little more healthy. I cut back the butter and sneak in some red lentil purée and brush on half and half seasoned butter and olive oil mix instead of all melted butter. There were even leftover biscuits for lunches!


Tuesday: Creamy fusilli pasta, salmon and LOTS of peas. There wasn't enough smoked salmon so I also used the tinned salmon. It worked well! For dessert, blueberry lemon muffins (with some hidden healthy lentil puree). These also doubled as lunch snacks too.
 

 
Wednesday: Sunday dinner ditto - roast pork, gravy with roasted potatoes. Because I only had a few roasted potatoes, the leftover mashed potatoes from the fridge allowed the three of us to have potatoes. Since I only had half a head of broccoli, I bulked up our veggie serving with some leftover warm cabbage and apple slaw. Who would have thought that half a head of cabbage plus the other veggies would make so much? For dessert, apple bread pudding made from those odds and sods of bread found in the freezer and the last of the apples.
 

Thursday: Broccoli, onion & ham quiche with a potato crust, I used some of the frozen broccoli florets and some of the frozen ham, diced and a little shredded cheddar cheese. I even managed to use the last of the warm cabbage slaw (cause you can never have too many veggies!) and more apple bread pudding for dessert.
 

Friday: Hot pork sandwiches, apple sauce and peas and corn mixed. Although we had no fries, this is my favourite diner food! My hubby prefers his open faced, but I go for the 2 slices of bread version. It's your choice!

Saturday: Chicken cacciatore using a whole chicken (cut into pieces) and the marinara from the freezer, linguine from the pantry & mixed veggie - steamed fresh carrot julienned & frozen broccoli florets. I made it just a little more special with a grating of real parmasean cheese. No cellulose fibre fillers in our cheese! Yuck. Behold, my chicken cacciatore served family style on whole wheat linguine.
 
 
I did end up having to run to the store to pick up some more milk for the fam for cereal and drinks and another dozen eggs to make the quiche. All in all, I think I did well with only having to spend another $10.57 for last weeks groceries and we did not lack in having tasty and nutritious meals that even included dessert.

So, in the end, I pretty much shopped my kitchen in order to make our meals for last week. With a little creativity and ingenuity, you can shop your kitchen to make sure you use up your leftovers and make aheads. I used up all the perishables in my fridge so no biological experiments to send to the green bin! My freezer still has a few more things for me to use up before the warm weather shows up, but I am well on my way to using up the older and fall/winter foods in my freezer. 


Saturday 9 April 2016

Greening Up Self Care and Soap




Hello gentle readers. Today I am writing a slightly different post. For those who know me, one of my other interests is my attempt to be an Eco-holic so that I can try to do my part to become environmentally conscious and responsible. To begin, I would like to introduce you to 2 great environmental web sites and organization that have the planet's and humanity's interests at heart. The first is the David Suzuki Foundation and the second is the EWG. Both of these groups are working to make the world a better place. 

David Suzuki is the co-founder of the David Suzuki foundation, a non-profit foundation which is a group that works with government, businesses and everyday Canadians to conserve our environment and find solutions that will create a sustainable Canada through science-based research, education and policy work. Essentially, the goal is to help us see what we can do to stop destroying our world. He has spent a life time devoted to educating people about the wonderful ways of nature. He has worked tirelessly to raise awareness and provide solutions. 

The EWG is a non-profiit and non-partisan organisation dedicated to protecting human health and the environment. The EWG focusses in 6 general areas: toxics, food, agriculture, children’s health, energy, and water. Both of these groups and those that are committed to working with them are working hard to make our planet cleaner, safer, and sustainable.

If you have been following my blog, you know that I have been working to improve what goes IN my body, both for health, ethical, and environmental reasons. Today, I would like to write about what goes ON my body. Over the past few years, I have been a lot more mindful of the scary things found in our self-care/beauty products. I find it astounding that this industry is not regulated in North America. The institutions that are supposed to protect us from questionable ingredients and products are turning a blind eye and letting the Maybelline's, P&G's and the Johnson and Johnson's of the world sell us products that are harmful to us and the world in which we live. Making money and a handsome profit is paramount regardless of the end results.

It is important that we work diligently to adopt a greener lifestyle. One of the areas to do this would be to green up your beauty and self care products. I try very hard to avoid ingredients found on the "Dirty Dozen" chemical list: ingredients that are strongly suspected of being endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicants, or causing cancer. Many are harmful to fish and other wildlife. There are chemical fragrances linked to cancer and neurotoxicity, and the list goes on. The side effects of these ingredients don't sounds so great to me, and it's perfectly OK for companies to put these ingredients in your lotions, soaps, and make up. YIKES! I think I will take a pass and look for better, greener and more sustainable choices.

Unlike Europe, the beauty and self care industry is unregulated in North America and the manufactures of these products can put almost anything in them. I wonder why there is such a difference in what is considered safe. Certainly our scientists are just as clever as the ones overseas. Then why are they not standing up to say the chemical additives in our beauty and self care products are bad for us? I don't have the answer, but it certainly is puzzling.

It is also mind boggling to go down the soap and shampoo aisles at the store. I can't get over the sheer volume of products just to clean ourselves, which I daresay are pretty much the same products no matter the brand; just minor differences and packaged in a different plastic bottle. And let's not forget about all that plastic. Why is it that soap has to come in a plastic bottle anyway?  Is it really that difficult to rub a wet bar of soap in your hands to lather up? I guess what I'm trying to say is, an easy way to green up your self care and beauty products is to consider the packaging. Is it plastic? Is it excessive? Are there better alternatives? Green beauty is as much about HOW it is packaged as it is WHAT is packaged.

Unfortunately, many companies hide behind the terms "trade secret" or "proprietary" so that they don't have to share the ingredients with those of us who would really like to know what we are slathering all over ourselves. If you are interested in finding out how safe (or unsafe) your favourite shampoo, lotion or mascara is, I highly recommend the Skin Deep database run by the EWG. It will give you the low down on what is in your products and how safe it is.  By the by, EWG also has a database for your favourite cleaning products too. Sadly, most of these are pretty scary. Myself, I'm a firm believer in white vinegar, baking soda, and castile soap. Please check out Queen of Green on the David Suzuki Foundation site! Anyway... that is another topic. Back to the beauty and self care.

The main purpose of my post today is to ask each of you to invest some time to learn a little more about the dirty secrets of the beauty and self care industry and check out a few of the links I have shared. Weigh the pros and cons of greening up your products and see what you can do to minimize your health risks and make better choices regarding what you put on your bodies. 

Once you have decided to do a little green cleaning, there is good news! There are more and more healthier and safer self care/beauty care products available on the market. Just be mindful of "green washing". Sadly, many of the conventional manufacturers of beauty and self care products will say their product is "natural" or "contains natural ingredients" just to snag business from those wanting safer ingredients. Although there may be natural ingredients, you will still find many scary chemicals in the product as well. As with food, reading the labels will be the key to successfully greening up! Remember to stay away from the Dirty Dozen!

Yes, natural or eco-friendly products have slightly more expensive price tags than the conventional ones, but I am a firm believer that the quality of ingredients is BETTER and SAFER and worth the cost. As with the food industry, food that is ethically and organically raised/grown is generally a little more expensive, but the end result is better food and better for your health, better for the environment and it allows for a kinder world. Safe shampoos, makeup and lotions, at a slightly higher price points equals better health and ultimately, a better planet. A WIN for all! 

I have touched on why I think it is important to consider the benefits of green beauty. Better and safer ingredients means less cancer and illness; less pollution; ethical sourcing and ultimately, a healthier planet. It's only the tip of the iceberg and I welcome you to investigate this topic in more detail for yourself. Please, check out the EWG and the Suzuki Foundation. I also highly recommend the books written by Adria Vasil. Adria also has an excellent web site too. Join me and become and Eco-holic too - even if it's only part-time. A little something is better than nothing. There is so much more to saving our planet than just the blue boxes and the green bins.

Michelle's Go-To Soaps

My first step to green up my beauty and self care products was to fix up my soap. We have always been a ZERO body wash family in my house because I couldn't stand the idea of all that plastic. Over the past several years, I have stocked a variety of  better bar soaps so now the ingredients are better for me and my family as well as the planet.

My absolute favourite brand of natural soap is Ground Soap which is available on line and made in Cornwall, Ontario. I really LOVE these soaps! They are luxurious, gentle on me and eco friendly. They make so many different kinds, you can find one, or two or three that work with your skin type or your specific needs.



Upside: Canadian Made, minimal and re-useable fabric packaging that you can save for crafts or whenever you need a small square of beautiful fabric, natural vegetable ingredients, the products are 95% to 99% certified organic, and natural essential oils are used for scent. There is even a bar that has no added scent at all. These cold pressed soaps are paraben, sulphate free and cruelty free and completely biodegradable. Wow! Ground Soap bars are a generous 6.5 ounce size and last a very long time as long as you don't float your soap or let it sit in water for long periods of time. 

As an aside, cold process is the method of soap making that Ground Soap uses. It allows for all of the moisturizing and healing properties in the ingredients once the the soap is made. A definite plus!

Downside: I really haven't found any, but because these are made with natural ingredients, these soaps "melt" a little faster than conventional soap when they are allowed to stay wet or sit in a pool of water. For this reason, I have a separate soap dish for them that we take in and out of the shower with us.

Aum Bar -  INGREDIENTS: Organic Olea Europaea (olive) oil, Organic Cocos Nucifera (coconut) oil, Water (aqua), Organic Mangifera Indica (mango) seed butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (shea butter) fruit, Theobroma Organic Cacao (cocoa) seed butter, Pogostemon Cablin (patchouli) oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (orange) peel oil, Allantoin, Prunus Serotina (wild cherry) bark powder, Pogostemon Cablin (patchouli) leaves, Vanilla Planifolia (vanilla) powder
 
My second go to brand is made by The Soap Works. When I first started looking for a soap alternative, I discovered The Soap Works brand at the Bulk Barn here in Ontario, but I believe they are available in Bulk Barns across Canada. The Soap Works also has places to buy on their site. I initially chose this product because of the lack of extra packaging and price point. Upon further research, I was happy to discover that these soaps were free from a lot of the toxins I had been reading up on, so I have continued to use this soap regularly.


Upside: Canadian Made, minimal packaging and you buy what you need; no phosphates or lauryl sulphates; better ingredients than conventional manufacturers, phosphate free and not tested on animals. Years ago, I emailed them with a list of bad ingredients found on the "Dirty Dozen" chemical list and with 2 exceptions, a clean bill of health. A great starting point to green up if you suffer from sticker shock when looking at the BEST alternatives. These bars cost a little more than the conventional and over-packaged offerings on the market, but much cheaper than the higher quality and organic offerings. An excellent way to test the waters so to speak or for those on super tight budgets who would also like to use safer products.

Downside: The sourcing of ingredients is not as pristine as I would like and many of their products use palm oil, which of course encourages clearcutting and habitat decimation for Orangutans. NOT a good thing! The sourcing of the of the sodium tallowate is ecologically questionable as well. Some, but not all, of the product offerings contain artificial colour and coal tar extract.

Overall, a decent option, not a great option, but certainly better than P&G's Ivory Soap which has been greenwashed to be "natural". This soap, like so many on the market is filled with petrochemicals, hormone-disrupting fragrances and preservatives as well as rainforest-razing palm oil. YUCK.

In our house, we primarily use the Tea Tree Oil and the  Chamomile soaps.

The Tea Tree Oil soap is an excellent bar for every day showers. It is particularly good to clean "stinky guy" after he has toiled outside for the day and "teenager feet" due to the astringent, antiseptic and antifungal cleaning properties of Tea Tree oil.   
Tea Tree Oil Bar - INGREDIENTS: Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Palm Kernel Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Melaleuka Alternifolia (Australian Tea Tree Oil) Leaf Oil


The Camomile soap is especially good for oily and acne prone skin, but not overly drying.   

Camomile Bar - INGREDIENTS: Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Palm Kernel Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract (Chamomile flower), Beta Carotene Colour, Yellow Iron Oxide, Parfum (Orange*, Clove*, Cedarleaf*, Rosemary*) *essential oils

A great way to store your soap is in beautiful canisters in your bathroom. 



My goal today was to pique your interest and open your mind to the idea that we should all look a little deeper into what companies ("family company" or not) are selling us, especially the companies that are part of unregulated industries like beauty and self care. We need to be knowledgeable and pro-active and deserve to know exactly what we are putting ON or IN our bodies. I truly hope you will give Ground Soap a try. This is an amazing company with wonderful product. If you aren't ready to dive into the world of handmade soaps, the Soap Works brand is well worth your time and may fall into a more comfortable price point. There are many varieties from which to choose. Whichever brand you choose, I think you will agree that this is a good first step to green up your beauty and personal care products!