Health & Fitness

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Buttermilk Sorbet
July 17th, 2011 | 14 Comments
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Buttermilk rocks!

Try this simple and yummy low-fat alternative to ice cream.

Lemon Verbena Infused Buttermilk Sorbet*

2 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

5 fresh leaves of lemon verbena (if you can’t find any–don’t fret you can sub in any other herb you favor or take a pass on the infusion)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Over low heat, dissolve sugar, corn syrup and lemon juice in a saucepan unto it is syrupy. Take off stove and drop in lemon verbena leaves. Allow to cool to room temp and then chill.

Mix together the buttermilk and sugar/lemon mix and put into an ice cream maker.  (We use a simple Cuisinart ice cream maker and it’s usually done in 20 minutes.) Store in freezer.

Cheap. Simple. Delicious.

 

 

* This is an adaptation of a recipe from Patricia Well’s “The Provence Cookbook”






White Beans for Meatless Monday
July 11th, 2011 | 3 Comments
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Are you serious about eating smart? Are you watching your wallet? Are you crazy for great food?

One of our favorite bean dishes covers all the bases. It is super healthy, easy on the budget and yummy.

While we’d like to say we’re organized enough to buy dried beans and cook them up — well, we’re not.  Instead we usually make this with cans of organic White Northern or Cannellini beans, which we stock up on whenever we find them on sale. The rest of the ingredients are always on hand and we can whip this dish up at the drop of a hat. It’s great as part of a healthy dinner or as a simple appetizer served with pita chips.

Simple Beans and Olive Oil

1 can white beans

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 finely minced garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

kosher salt

pepper

fresh herbs

vinegar

Open the beans and throw them in a colander to rinse and dry. Place in a serving bowl and toss with the garlic, red pepper flakes, a generous toss of kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Right before serving tear a few basil leaves (or thyme or oregano) into the mixture and serve. Finish with a splash of Sherry or balsamic vinegar.

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Organic vs Non-Organic Produce on a Budget
June 13th, 2011 | 2 Comments
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You know fruits and veggies should top your healthy choice eating list, but with money tight how do you invest your precious dollars when it comes to buying organic vs. non-organic produce. The good folks at the Environmental Working Group have a new list out of the dirty dozen (most pesticide laden) and the clean 15 (the least pesticide laden) for you to bear in mind when you do your grocery shopping:

 

The Dirty Dozen
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines – imported
7. Grapes – imported
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries – domestic
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

The Clean 15
1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe – domestic
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

 

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CLAM-UP
June 2nd, 2011 | Comments
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Guess what we did over the weekend?

Then we made:

Clams on the half-shell.

Rhode Island Clam Chowder.

Pasta with clam sauce.

Grilled clams with herbs.

Cheap and yummy.

If you’re minding your budget and live to eat there is nothing smarter than being a back to nature DIYer. Whether you’re growing your own fruits and veggies, raising your own chickens or catching fish, the end result is far tastier than anything money can buy.

 

 

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Be Green. Be Healthy. Save Money. Ride a Bike
May 19th, 2011 | Comments
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Exactly one year ago today as oil spilled into the Gulf we wrote this piece and thought it timely to share again. Do good for your body. Do good for the environment. Do good for your budget. Ride a bike.


Now that the weather is warmer we are back to cruising around town on our bike. This morning, as we took our life in our hands on a busy urban street dodging buses, car doors and other cyclists, we pedaled past a local service station and noticed for the first time the BP sign. Like most people we usually pay closer attention to the price per gallon on top of the pump than to the name of the gas supplier.

The contrast between the eco-sunny sentiment of the green and yellow BP logo, and the sludgy reality of what is happening in the Gulf made us feel positively hostile. Well, our uncomfortable bike pants, getting cut off by a taxi and the looming mountains ahead of us – okay, more like a series of hills – didn’t help. Anyway, it’s amazing how fury can fuel you, and we swished up and down the hills with ease; by the end of the ride our exercising endorphins had kicked in and calm reason briefly prevailed.

In those few moments of clarity, we decided it’s all too easy to vilify BP and their suppliers. Yes, those responsible for this mess must be held accountable, but is this not just another wake-up call in a long series of wake-up calls? The geo-political-eco-drill-baby-drill-pain caused by our gas guzzling ways is just being driven closer to home. We can’t live forever having our needs met in someone else’s back yard and we can’t continue consuming more than our share of fossil fuels. (more…)






No Recipe Pesto
May 2nd, 2011 | 1 Comment
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We’re not good with rules.  You know the ones like: Only tall girls should wear skinny jeans. No white after Labor Day. Never wear navy and black.

So, it should come as no surprise we almost never use a recipe when we cook. They are rules, right?

As we head into summer with the promise of plentiful fresh herbs from the garden and affordable bunches of greens popping up at roadside markets we’re thinking of all the ways we can incorporate them into our daily meals.

We want you to think about how you can use them without being bound to any hard and fast recipe rule.  So we’re offering up our no-recipe-recipe for pesto. (Yeah, it’s an oxymoron)

No Recipe Pesto

A bunch of fresh herbs.

Extra Virgin Olive oil.

A big handful of nuts.

A clove of garlic.

Freshly grated Parmesan (or other hard) cheese.

Kosher salt.

Lots of freshly ground pepper.

A Cuisinart or blender.

Wash and dry the herbs thoroughly.  Put the garlic, herbs and nuts into the food processor. Pulse a few times or roughly grind the mixture in the blender.  Slowly add olive oil through the feed tube in a steady stream (Ok, we’ll give you some help here, if you’ve used a full bunch of herbs and say 1/2 cup of nuts, you’ll be using about 1 cup of oil-but find the consistency you like.)   At this point you can freeze the mixture for later use. A tip: place in freezer trays and defrost individual pesto cubes for use.

Right before serving mix in cheese.

Vague, to be sure, but think of all the ways you can use this guideline: spearmint and hazelnuts; walnuts and basil; arugula and pine nuts. Think of all the things you can spread your pesto on: bruschetta; peppers; pasta; tomatoes and mozzarella; grilled fish or chicken…

 






Grind It Yourself
April 5th, 2011 | 20 Comments
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Grind your own meats.  It’s cheap. It’s better for you. It’s better tasting. When you buy your own cuts, you get to select the best quality pieces and have control over the freshness of the product.

While we’re not big meat eaters, on occasion we make homemade meatballs, turkeyballs (that just sounds wrong, doesn’t it?), turkey/meatloaf, and ravioli stuffings.  We always buy a fresh cut from the butcher, bring it home and grind it ourselves. The end-product more flavorful and lighter than store bought pre-ground.

Too much work you say? Not really. It’s remarkably easy. We use our grandmother’s old hand grinder. Simple to set-up. Easy to clean.

Look, the bottom line is when you grind it yourself you have CONTROL over the quality of what you eat and quality control over the sanitary conditions that go into the grind. Think about this, most ground meat and pre-made patties sold in stores are made from the trimmings and ends of cuts from multiple animals. Yuck. Grind it yourself and avoid having to worry every time there is a recall of pre-made patties or bulk ground meat. (For example, the one this week that recalled 55,000 pounds of Salmonella tainted ground turkey.)

Give it a crank.

 






Homemade Granola
March 24th, 2011 | 2 Comments
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Make your own granola. It’s easy. It’s cost effective and way tastier than anything you’ll buy in the store. Go to the bulk section in your grocer for the ingredients.

 

 

Ingredients

-3 cups of rolled oats

-1/2 cup walnuts

-1 cup whole cashews

-1/2 cup shredded coconut

-1/4 cup dark brown sugar

-1/3 cup maple syrup

-3 tblsp safflower oil

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1 1/2 cups dried fruit (cherries, raisins, apricots-your choice)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Take the oil and maple syrup and mix in a small bowl. In another bowl mix the oats, nuts, coconut sugar and salt. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and stir to evenly coat. Take two large sheet pans cover the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Lay the ingredients in an even layer and place in the oven for approximately 1 to 1/2 hours stirring every twenty minutes. The granola is cooked when it turns a warm golden brown color. Remove and mix in the dried fruits.

 






Are You Prepared for a Disaster?
March 14th, 2011 | 14 Comments
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Are you prepared for a disaster?

Over and over again, events happen and they remind us to think about what we would do in a crisis, then the moment passes and we don’t do anything.

The devastation in Japan, and the horror still unfolding is almost incomprehensible.

Take the time now to make a plan, stock supplies and discuss with your family what you will do if a disaster strikes.

Take advantage of your tax dollars at work, the Federal Government offers great guidance through the online site Ready where you can download clearly written and smart information and connect to other helpful links. Make sure you  follow the Twitter account they have up and running.  The Red Cross runs training programs and also offers helpful advice.

Don’t wait. Take the time now. Do your research. Set up a plan. Talk with your family. Get your supplies.

Pass it on.






The Skinny on Starbuck’s New Pops
March 10th, 2011 | Comments
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Aren’t these Starbuck’s cupcakes, pops and other treats cute?

Who wouldn’t be attracted to a smart little petit four at around that time in the afternoon?

Starbucks is stepping out today with a new line of “minis” that they are giving away for free—if you buy a drink, that is. (Wait, is that free or more like a gift with purchase?)

No matter. What we’re wondering about is how is that we see these as minis?

What’s the deal with portion sizing anyway?  Look at this piece from The Center for Science in the Public Interest contrasting recommended USDA serving sizes with the serving sizes that chain food and fast food restaurants sell.

Scary. Right?

It got us to thinking about what our expectations are when it comes to food and portion sizing. How is that we’ve become such a nation of gluttons? How is it that we’ve substituted quantity for quality?

Our favorite restaurant,  the special occasion place that’s too pricy for anything but a birthday or anniversary dinner, is owned by one of the best cooks in the world. For years, we’d go and friends would complain that the portions were small for the money. Huh? The food was local, fresh, fabulous and we always left satisfied—not stuffed, but happily sated.

Is more always better? No. Why do people complain in restaurants when their plates aren’t heaped high?

We believe super-sized servings have distorted our perspective on value–just because something is bigger doesn’t mean it’s better. It’s also distorted our perspective on what is a reasonable amount to eat at any meal.

Maybe now that they have to put the calorie count on their baked goods, Starbuck’s is finally wising up.  But, we want to know why they need to call these new confections “petite” or “mini”, because at roughly 200 calories a pop (sorry) they sound ‘right-sized’ to us.

 

 

 

 






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