POWER JUICER!!!

As a kid, we abhorred the juicer.  My mom would make us various concoctions of carrot and celery juice or some other dreaded vegetable in liquid form.  Honestly, my mom was pretty good at creating palatable combination's, it was more the thought that vegetables could become green juice that really freaked us out.  Needless to say, I have grown up and thus absolved my fear of drinking my veggies.  Especially when Matcha tea is my among my favorite things! 
When I was out in CA last month, I was staying with one of my closest friends, Matt and his girlfriend, Cristina.  Cristina and I think quite a bit alike.  She recently got a juicer and has since gotten in the habit of juicing daily.  A ritual Matt has become accustom to and dare I say looks forward to despite how quickly he chugs his daily juice!  Point being, all of this juicing inspired me to get back in the habit so the number one item on my Christmas wish list was- you guessed it, a juicer.  My far too generous brother got it for me and as you can see above I was slightly psyched about it!
I have some ideas for new juice recipes, but clearly have some testing to do!!  I am thinking apple, carrot and ginger might be a fun one... hopefully over the next month I will start to get some juice recipes up on Nourish This for you all to try out yourselves.  For now, hook yourself up with a post-holiday present if you don't already have one!

Quinoa Stuffing!

I was on Frankly Speaking yesterday, a blog-talk radio broadcast in Chicago talking about eating well over the holidays and I shared this recipe!  The full recipe will be posted on Nourish This by next week :)  Enjoy!  

Ingredients:
   •    3/4 cup quinoa
   •    1 1/2 cups water
   •    1 cup finely diced carrots
   •    1 cup finely diced celery
   •    1 cup finely diced white onions
   •    2 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil
   •    2 cups diced chestnuts
   •    1/2 cup dried, unsweetened cranberries
   •    1 cup finely diced granny smith apples
   •    2 cloves minced garlic
   •    2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
   •    1 TBS poultry seasoning
   •    2 TBS finely chopped fresh sage
   •    2 TBS finely chopped fresh parsley
   •    1 tsp. Sea salt
   •    2 whole eggs
   •    2 1/2 cups almond milk
   •    3 slices gluten-free bread

How To Prepare:
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Start by rinsing your quinoa in a fine strainer to help remove some of the bitter taste after cooking.  Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a medium sauce pan.  Once the mixture has reach a boil, reduce the temperature to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water.
Next, wash and finely dice carrots, celery and onions and saute in a large skillet with olive oil for about 5 minutes over medium heat.  You want the veggies to sweat (meaning cook without browning) until they are fork tender. 
Add your diced chestnuts, cranberries, apples and garlic, saute another 3 or 4 minutes, stirring constantly.  Pour the stock over the veggies and stir to remove bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Toss in herbs and salt and let sit over medium-low heat while you finish the last part.
Toast your gluten-free bread until slightly brown and cut into 1/2” cubes, set aside. 
In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and almond milk. 
Brush the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil just to help the stuffing not stick when serving.
Pour in the sauteed veggies, quinoa and gluten-free bread.  Combine with a large spoon to evenly distribute the mixtures.  Finally, slowly pour the milk and egg mixture evenly over the top of the stuffing.  Bake covered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes and uncovered on broil 3-4 minutes (for a crispy top).

Thanksgiving and G-F Cornbread

We just found out that we are hosting Thanksgiving this year... sweet.  Actually, I am excited, Thanksgiving is usually my favorite holiday and this year my bro is not working (but will be for Christmas) so it is definitely my fav. this year!

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that you just have to make two versions of many (normally gluten-full) dishes.  I make the cornbread and pumpkin pies both gluten-full and gluten-free, I don't want everyone stealing my gluten-free food!!  Cause, clearly it is better than refined flour and white sugar- I mean, who would choose that?!  The funny thing is, this year when I made the cornbread, I ran out of regular corn meal and had to use polenta meal.  Ended up adding great texture and worked well in the bread!

I will post my pumpkin pie recipe after its made this year with a photo, but here is the recipe :)

Gluten-Free Cornbread
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups corn meal (or half meal and half polenta)
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 TBS organic butter
1/2 cup applesauce
2 whole eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup local honey
How To:
Mix together dry ingredients (corn meal through salt).  Cut the butter into the dry mixture using two butter knives or a pastry cutter until you can no longer see big chunks of butter.  Next, gently whisk together applesauce through honey and pour into the butter and flour mixture.  Stir to combine.
Pour out into an 8x8 baking pan (I prefer glass) and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn the oven down to 350 and cook another 10-12 minutes until you can poke it with a cake tester or toothpick and it comes out clean.
Let cool in the baking dish and then slice into squares and serve.

O'Connor Christmas Zucchini Bread

Although the recipe has evolved over the years and I am even experimenting with a gluten-free version, my mom's whole grain zucchini bread is as much of a Christmas tradition for my family as the tree itself.  We only eat the zucchini bread on Christmas morning (and there after until it is gone!), saving the treat as a special holiday tradition.  Thinking back on my childhood, I realize how forward thinking my mom was, passionate about recycling, reusing, and up-cycling before it was popular.  Zucchini breads and homemade croutons packaged creatively in containers from our home were gifts to teachers, friends, family and even the mail-carrier!  Our art section of the playroom was a bookshelf full of recyclable or up-cycleable items that I still believe had a huge part in launching my creative thought process.  Creating something brand new out of ordinary found objects expands your mind so much farther than any plastic toy wrapped in plastic, wrapped in cardboard and surrounded by plastic (again) can possibly do!

The more I focus my thoughts on ways to improve the environment and make life healthier, the more it is clear that a simpler life, truly reflecting the meaning of going back to the basics can make the most impact.  We constantly need more and more and wonder why our landfills are so large, why our food has to be genetically modified and pumped full of pesticides to keep up with demand, why we have health and obesity epidemics.  I'm not trying to say it is easy, but I think we can all benefit from a little more creative thinking... next time you go to deliver fresh baked cookies or a gift (with the holiday season upon us) think of a way to present it wrapped in something you find in your home.  What a great way to save money as well.

I will leave you with this.  Although it stems from a rich sense of humor, my brother has never, literally never used wrapping paper and it has become something to look forward to... what is Ryan going to wrap our presents in this year?!  I will take a picture this year.  

...and back to the Zucchini Bread, here are the recipes 3 ways!:

Whole Grain Zucchini Bread (modified from the original to eliminate oil, refined sugar and white flour)
                                            Ingredients

3 eggs
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup local honey
2 cups fresh grated zucchini
3 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup flaxseed
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
                                             3 tsp. cinnamon
                                            1/8 tsp. allspice
                                            1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (eggs through applesauce), set aside.   Sift wheat flour and oat flour into a bowl and combine with the remaining dry ingredients (salt through nutmeg).  Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and thoroughly combine.
Divide batter between two loaf pans and bake for 40 minutes or until you can poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread (made to be free of gluten, refined sugar and low in fat)
2 cups of brown rice flour
1 cup of tapioca flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups freshly grated zucchini
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 TBS melted and cooled butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup applesauce
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine dry ingredients (brown rice flour through nutmeg) in a large bowl and whisk to combine.  In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (zucchini through applesauce).  Make sure the butter has cooled before you add it to the egg mixture so you don't accidentally scramble the eggs!
Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry stirring until the batter is well incorporated.
Divide batter between two loaf pans (or one loaf pan and a muffin tin like I did!) and bake bread for 30-40 minutes and muffins for 20-25 minutes.  Gluten free should be watched in the oven because depending on the moisture in the air, the cooking time could vary.  Simply poke the muffin or bread with a cake tester or toothpick and if it comes out clean, pull those babies out!

To store, place in a sealable glass storage container and pop in the freezer, they will be good to go for a  month (but trust me, they won't last that long!), just re-heat in your toaster oven at 200 degrees.

Original Recipe (yummy and tender, but definitely a treat...)
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated raw zucchini
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups white flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the first 5 ingredients in order, beating after each addition.  Mix sifted dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon) into the egg/sugar mixture.  Pour batter into two loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes.

The Glories of Hummus!

This olive hummus is a slightly updated version of my favorite snack.  I made my traditional hummus: chick peas, olive oil, garlic, lemon, tahini, water and salt and added fresh kalamata and green olives.  I chose the green olives marinated in herbs de provence and I had to control myself from popping all of them in my mouth before they were added to the hummus!   I bought the whole olives, seeds intact just because I feel like they retain their flavor better that way (despite the extra effort involved!).
I made this hummus for a meeting I went to (I always bring food), so I accompanied it with a platter of local, organic tomatoes, cucumber, arugula and whole wheat pita wedges.  I figured people could dip or make mini sandwiches.  It really loosens people up and makes for a friendlier environment when food is involved... that's not really why I bring food, but it is a bonus!
Hummus is such a great thing to experiment with because you can get as creative as you want, adding herbs, all sorts of veggies, even nuts to change it up.

Baked Trout

We all know fish is good for us but for some reason there seems to be this general conception that fish is tricky to make so it becomes a once-in-a-while or never home cooked meal.  No more, my friends, no more.  Trout is one of the fish lowest in mercury, it is a lean protein and its pretty good for you too.  Here's how I like to prepare it.

First, always rinse your fish off so that you don't have any scales or yuks in on the flesh of the fish.  Pat it dry with a (recycled) paper towel and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (easier to clean and your not using canned spray).  Drizzle each piece with a touch of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and an array of your favorite spices.  I like things hot so I typically use: ancho chili pepper, chipotle chili pepper, paprika, cayanne pepper, parsley and on occasion tarragon.  If you don't enjoy the heat, tarragon and parsley make a great combo on trout... it will give the trout a buttery taste.

I bake the trout in the oven at 375 for about 6-7 minutes and then broil for 1-2 minutes.

When I made the trout tonight (pictured above), my sides were sauteed swiss chard and button mushrooms and creamy brown rice with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Give trout a try and you will see how quick and easy a fish dinner can be.

How do you make your Lentils?

During my trip to LA, I stayed with my good friend from HS and his girlfriend, Cristina.  Cristina made a giant batch of hearty lentils absolutely loaded with veggies... and we ended up eating them all week.  On salads, warmed with toasted corn tortillas, etc., etc.  They were delicious.  After asking me how I typically make my lentils I realized that the answer is- I don't.  It's a shame because lentils are such a great food, but I just never think to make them.

First thing when I got home I went to the grocery store and bought a bag of organic red lentils and whipped up the batch pictured above.  I think I overcooked them a bit because the lentils broke down and sort of melted into the veggies... which, turns out I actually love.  I seasoned this batch with curry, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper and of course a touch of sea salt.  Upon serving though, I either scooped them out as they were or I stirred them together with a dollop of creamy goat cheese and a drop of sarancho chili sauce (my preference).  Either way, they are completely satisfying and certainly a single meal in a pot!  Although my brother was wondering where the meat was and said he did love them but thinks of them as more of a snack.  I guess it depends on the size of your appetite.  I was just happy he liked them so much!

Pumpkin Cookies!

My mom used to make these unbelievable pumpkin cookies when we were kids.  They looked terrible, kind of lumpy and that slightly orangey-brown color that could remind you of something else!  BUT, they tasted so good I looked forward to them every halloween.  Surprisingly, I this is the first year I have tried to make a gluten-free variety (despite going on 5 1/2 years G-F!).
Well, clearly I had to do some tweaking to the original recipe, but so far so good!  The texture was not bad with these cookies, thanks to help from the pumpkin puree (*vegetable and fruit purees do wonders for gluten-free baking!).  I replaced refined sugar with local honey and used a combination of tapioca and brown rice flours.  To add fluffiness and a tiny bit of elasticity, I also separated the eggs and whipped the whites into stiff peaks.  In addition to being gluten, dairy, soy and nut-free, this recipe is also lower in sugar and made with only organic or local ingredients.  Definitely a cookie you can feel good about!

I'll have the fried chicken sandwich, but hold the bottom bun.

I have seen some crazy things in my day, but this has to come close to one of the least-logical food choices yet.  I am sitting on a plane in Atlanta (connecting from LA to NYC) and this man is sitting diagonally across the isle from me.  He is a rather full gentleman who's belly grazed up against the tray table.  I curiously looked around to see what food he brought on the plane... my own hunger and curiosity melded with the variety of aromas wafting up into the stale airplane air from everyone's delectable airport dinner choices.  Anyway, up comes a fast food bag.  Oh no I thought, please don't... really, whatever is wrapped up in that papery-tinfoil, its not worth it, I promise you it's not.  As he unwrapped, the fried chicken sandwich with all the fixin's, all I could see was it sitting there on the tray table like a heart attack.  Then, for some reason, the fried chicken man took off the tiny bottom bun and left it on the side.  Hmm, I thought, is he trying to be health conscious?  Is this an attempt to adhere to the Atkins diet or some other carb-limiting plan that would prompt him to remove that bottom half of his bun?  No it couldn't be, surely if he cared about the carbs, the top bun (the thicker of the two) would have to go as well, as would the oil saturated breading surrounding his (hopefully real) chicken!  Well, four bites later and the sandwich was gone.  All I could think was- hey, at least there were no fries!  I shouldn't have been worried about fries.  To my great dismay, the man reached down into his fast food bag and grabbed round two, another sandwich.  He performed the same ketchup/mustard- squirting/bun removal technique as before and once again, four bites and probably close to 1,000 calories later it was all devoured and rapidly absorbing into his body.
I wanted to run to the flight attendant, flailing my arms and screaming EMERGENCY!!!  Get that man some kale, get him a shot of wheat grass... ok, right, this is a plane- at least some bloody mary mix?!  Of course I held myself together, realized that I have to accept that people continue to make these (sorry for saying so) stupid choices and then wonder why they have to rely so heavily on medications, healthcare and their ever-expanding waist lines.
I know I am generalizing, being mean and that I really should not judge, but I the truth is, I feel worried about our society.  I feel concerned that in a world where more and more evidence points to the direct correlation between what you eat and how well you are... so many people don't seem to care.  We have to get them to care, or at least show them why they should.
*sigh*

Casseroles, Mmmmmm!

I know, I haven't blogged in a while.  Well, you know about the knee surgery, so there's that and then I have been making arrangements to go to CA in a week and got myself all busy :)
It's funny, as soon as it gets cold out, all I want to make are soups and casseroles.  Have not started the soup making quite yet but have made a few "pop-in-the-oven" one bake wonders.  Tonight I made an Italian version of my Shredded Chicken Bake recipe.  Instead of making a béchamel sauce, I just sauteed some onions with shredded chicken, tomato sauce and white wine... a touch of parmesan cheese and fresh homemade italian breadcrumbs and you have a winner folks.  I was running around and did not have time to think about dinner so I just boiled the chicken in... sadly enough, water.  BUT, the chicken got super tender and I got to cook it and walk away.  All together the actual "cooking" part took me about 12 minutes.  Super.

Over the weekend I also made a new gluten-free macaroni and cheese with fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese, tossed with spinach and broccoli and topped with, yes, thats right- homemade Italian breadcrumbs. As my bro would say, Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice.  ;)  I should be getting these recipes up and more in a few weeks, after my trip to LA.

Chicken Pot Pie

I am working on  a recipe makeover for someone who wanted to make an easy but healthier version of the traditional chicken pot pie.  Due to my lack of ability to get to the grocery store, I could not fully accomplish the new version that I wanted to try, but this one turned out awfully tasty so I thought I would share :)
I diced organic carrots, celery, and zucchini and sauteed them in a touch of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat with some frozen pearl onions.  I seasoned them with salt and pepper, nutmeg, sage and a bit of parsley.  The night before I had made two roasted chickens (which I always do, if you are bothering to do one, its no extra effort to make two!)... they make the BEST leftovers.  The chicken was cooked so all I had to do was shred it up into the dutch oven with my softening veggies- pretty sweet deal!

Now here comes the slightly odd part.  I did not have chicken stock, so I added sugar-free almond milk and water and thickened it up with a slurry of brown rice flour, a bit of organic butter and a touch of almond milk.  Once I added all the liquid and the slurry, I let the mixture simmer together for about 15 minutes to allow the liquid to thicken slightly and the veggies and chicken to absorb some of the flavor.
In the meantime, I made a quick gluten-free pie crust using equal parts brown rice and tapioca flour, a pinch of salt, butter and COLD water.  I only made enough for a top crust because I wanted to cut down on calories and unnecessary fat... plus, I have always felt that the real taste of the crust comes from the top layer anyway, the bottom and sides are just soggy and not all that necessary.

Using a pie pan (or in my case a round cake pan... it was closer and I was still on crutches!), spoon the chicken pot pie filling into the bottom of the pan and let it be completely full if not a little heeping.  Gently lift your pie crust over the top of the pie, brush with an egg wash (1 beaten egg and a dash of water or milk), poke a couple slits in the top so the steam does not make your pie explode and pop it into a pre-heated 325 degree oven for about 35 minutes.  I filled my pie up to the very top so I placed the pie pan on a baking sheet so the overflow did not destroy my oven!  No one likes to clean an oven unnecessarily!

My next try is going to involve butternut squash and cornbread... Mmmmmm ;)

"NO COOKING"

...say my discharge papers :(  Are you crazy, oxycodone or not, I can handle my way around the kitchen!  Ok, maybe thats not the most brilliant idea but as soon as the pain dies down and I kick these crutches to the curb I am back in business!

As for now, I am going to be hanging out, leg up, watching movies and maybe getting back into my art for a few days...  how could I not when I know how therapeutic it can be?  (MA in Art Therapy, I know, quite the deviation from home cook!).  Well, this whole typing on the computer stuff is making me want to hurl so I am going to post a couple gory pictures for you- I did make them black and white so you don't have to have the FULL affect ;)  I'm so sweet. ;)

Organic Buffalo Anyone?

I picked up some organic buffalo ground beef at Whole Foods the other day and made some burgers last night.  Sorry for fuzzy picture... anyone interested in sponsoring a souped up camera to Nourish This??! ;)  Anyway, the burger was a little bit sweeter tasting than regular beef and was pretty tender.  I just added salt and pepper to the meat and grilled it on my grill pan, topped it with asiago cheese, caramelized onions and fresh basil.  It would have been perfected by a slice of a giant garden (or heirloom) tomato, but no such luck.  I didn't think of it in the moment!
As you can probably see, I had it with steamed broccoli and sweet potato fries.  The sweet potato fries are a synch.  Just dice them into whatever shape you like (shoe string, rounds, squares, etc.) just make sure they are fairly uniform in size so they cook evenly.  Sprinkle them with a bit of olive oil, just to lightly coat the potatoes and then a dash of large grain sea salt, fresh nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon.  I cook them in the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces).  They are so simple but definitely one of those things you literally can't stop eating because they are so good!  Don't worry though- they're sweet potatoes so go to town!

Farm Fresh Omelet Wrap

I felt badly about not taking a pic of my pretty fish dinner the other night so I figured the least I could do is use that tasty basil oil on my eggs and remember to take a picture of that this time!
Breakfast was definitely my favorite.  I have a few things in my fridge that helped me make it so good so quickly, but this might give you a few ideas.  My grandma emailed me a week or so ago about asparagus and all of its healing powers.  The email gave a few examples of how people used asparagus puree (2 tsp.s 2x/day) to help cure themselves of all kinds of illnesses.  It came from a fairly reliable source, so I thought I would give it a try... my feeling is, its asparagus, what's the risk?!
Long story short, that is why I had a glass pyrex full of asparagus puree in my fridge!  So, I scrambled 2 tsp.s of the puree with one egg and one egg white and a splash of water, salt and pepper.  In the meantime, I also sauteed a few slices of zucchini in olive oil.  When the eggs were done, I heated my gluten-free brown rice wrap (well half of one anyway) on my skillet for just a second, topped it with the asparagus scramble a pinch of parmesan cheese, clearly the basil oil and my zucchini slices.  Wow was that good.  I am not kidding that the whole thing took me about 5 minutes to throw together.  I had organic eggs, wrap, asparagus and zucchini and basil straight from my garden, how can you beat a breakfast like that?!

Baked Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Basil Oil

I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of this last night.  Seriously.  This recipe is so unbelievably easy and makes a gorgeous presentation.  I have no excuses for not taking a photo either, I was just plain lazy!  I told myself it was because my knee was hurting and I didn't want to go down and then back up the stairs to get the camera... to me that is just screaming "I want to sit on my rump instead!"  Anyway, I will absolutely have to make this again, take a picture of it and re-post this because after you see it, you won't be able to not make it for dinner!

Alright so what you do is: In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Wash and slice organic cherry tomatoes in half and add to the skillet when it is hot.  I used two bunches of tomatoes because I wanted leftovers for pizza (I love to make something that I can split in half and use for two different recipes).  Dice 1/2 cup of red onion and saute with the cherry tomatoes.  The tomatoes will start to get juicy, thats ok, just turn the heat up to medium high.  You want to cook the tomatoes until the liquid reduces and you are left with a chunky thick tomato sauce.  Ok, so add about 1 TBS of tomato paste (helps to thicken it up), 1/2 TBS dried oregano and a dash of large grain sea salt.  Stir to combine.  Lastly, add 2 tsp. of maple syrup.  I know it sounds weird, but it cuts the bitterness from the tomatoes and makes them taste incredibly rich.  Ok, your sauce is done!  

I let my sauce cool a bit and  then spooned it on top of a piece of halibut, popped it into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for ummmmm about 35 minutes (it was a thick piece!).  While it cooked, I washed about 1/4 cup of basil leaves and tossed them into my mini chop with a pinch of large grain sea salt and whirred it together with about 1/2 cup of olive oil.  You could be fancy and strain out the finely chopped basil leaves, but quite honestly, I like the extra flavor.

When the fish comes out of the oven, serve and drizzle with the basil oil.  

I made this recipe with sauteed kale and parmesan quinoa.  Loved it.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yeah, so it is nothing short of a comfort food day for me today.  In the past two hours I have made the crumble topping apple pie (see below), chocolate chip cookies and a pizza pie crust.  Clearly I am in an eating (and/or stuffing my face) mood!

The chocolate chip cookies were a new recipe and I think they came out much better than I expected.  Mostly because I am so tired today I feel like I am not actually functioning despite all of the cooking that seems to be happening!  Anyway, they taste nothing like G-F cookies you normally find, which makes me so happy.  Here is the recipe:

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup Brown Rice Flour

3/4 cup Tapioca Flour

2 tsp. Baking powder (low sodium)

1 tsp. Baking soda (low sodium)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 TBS flaxseed

Wet Ingredients:

1 tsp. vanilla

2 TBS applesauce (organic)

1 egg yolk

2 egg whites

4 TBS butter, melted and cooled (organic)

1/3 cup honey

chocolate chips (I used the allergy-free mini ones, about 1/2 cup)

Here's how its done:

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, vanilla, honey and butter just until combined.  

Mix your chocolate chips with the flour mixture first so they get evenly distributed.

Next, add your wet ingredients to the flour and chip mixture and stir just to combine.  

Lastly, beat the egg whites into stiff peaks and fold into the cookie dough 1/3 at a time.  

Spoon out 1 TBS of cookie dough onto your baking sheet (I line mine with recycled parchment paper) and bake for about 10 minutes.

Eat warm for the best taste or cool and freeze for up to a month!!

Ahh, New England in the Fall

I was considering (strongly) moving to CA for at least 3 months but for several reasons my plan fell through...  at least for the time being.  In some ways I am happy it is post-poned because I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fall.  So my favorite season!  The brisk air, the brightly colored trees and crunch of fallen leaves under your feet, being comfortable in just jeans and a cozy sweatshirt.  Nothing beats it.

My favorite of all fall past times is without a doubt apple picking.  We go to Blue Jay farms in CT and have for many many years.  It is so beautiful in the orchards and Blue Jay has this little farm store with homemade cider donuts, pies, jams, etc.  Smells like heaven in there.  Unfortunately I cannot eat any of the treats anymore due to my gluten, dairy, soy-free restrictions.  Oh, but not to worry, I am making some of my own.  Filling my kitchen with the smell of baked apple and cinnamon is enough to make even the most heavily-laden gluten eaters re-consider purchasing pies pre-made.  Half the experience is being able to smell the deliciousness all day... mmmmmmm :)

My apple pie had a gluten-free pie crust, apple filling stacked about 2" above  the rim of the pie pan and a cinnamon crumb topping.  I am about to pull it out of the oven and snag a quick taste... will post a picture soon!  

Check This Out!

Carrot Animal Crackers

Wild Smoothie

(and) Breakfast Options

Are posted on www.healthychild.org!!  There are six more to be posted, so keep checking back :)

Be sure to let us know what you think about the webisodes (there is room for comments at the bottom of each recipe!).

Wanted: Complete Makeover

I stumbled on these pictures, taken over a year ago when i was outfit shopping for my Food Network pitch.. none of them were chosen. I wanted that perfect outfit that said I was fun, unique and hopefully somewhat attractive! However, I quickly discovered that fashion is clearly not my forte, and despite the fact that I am quite capable of expressing myself with paint, it is not easy to do so with my wardrobe. I have always had a clue, but my quest for the perfect outfit made it abundantly clear that I am, in fact a fashion misfit! LOL.
If and when I am going to be on camera again, I am considering having some kind of fashion show on my blog to ask people to vote and tell me what they think I should wear... I mean I need help, that much is clear. So if anyone is listening out there who knows a thing or two about clothes and helping people dress well for their shape, give me a shout!

Webisodes Posted!

I am going to keep this short and sweet today!  My webisodes are starting to be posted on Healthy Child today!  I believe there will be 3 up by the end of the day and then the rest (total of 9) will be up by next week!!  So excited, check them out at: www.healthychild.org and click on "Eat Healthy" then select "Recipes" and you will see my Carrot Animal Crackers pop up first :)

The video is small, next to the recipe but check it out, I think they are really fun.

Time, time, time... why aren't you on my side?! ha ha

So, I am not sure how long ago it has been since my last blog (yes I could look, but what fun is that?).  Anyway, in whatever amount of time that has been, I have completed my webisodes!  I am currently exporting them using quicktime conversion, crossing my fingers and hoping for the best!  I already sent one off to Healthy Child to find out if they are able to open them and play them while retaining the best possible quality.  

Aside from trying to edit, import music, render, export, etc.  I have also been talking to Kevin, my web guy about updating Nourish This!  Super exciting stuff, we are making major improvements to the site that will allow you to search recipes by key word, get up to date info about what we are up to, etc., etc.!

Amidst all of that, I made a new favorite recipe... my brother was coming over for dinner and I offered him the choice of halibut or organic buffalo burgers.  To my surprise, he picked halibut.  I marinated it in fresh squeezed lemon juice, garlic, fresh thyme, dried oregano, salt and pepper, grilled it on my grill pan and served it with grilled balsamic red onions, parmesan quinoa and roasted asparagus.  It was so light and satisfying, making it the perfect dinner for both of us!  Cooking must be therapeutic, I mean if I could whip up a new recipe with all these distractions, there is no other possibility :)  I will make sure to post this recipe next month.

Why isn't there a YouTube video for coping with seeing yourself on camera too much?!

Oh the joy of editing your own videos.  You truly learn a deeper level of hate for yourself! ha ha, j/k but it is slightly on the tortuous side.  I decided that if I were ever (I should be more optimistic and say WHEN) have my own show, I cannot ever be in charge of hair and make-up.  These webisodes are very clear evidence that styling myself is certainly not my strongest quality!  

I am very thankful though, that I had Pete and Jim there to help me... to make me clap every time we cut so that I was not completely losing my mind during editing!  I tell you what, Final Cut Express is some darn tricky software.  Every time I start to get a handle on it and feel like a pro, something happens that makes me realize I am anything but.  For instance, I was slicing and snapping footage together, cross dissolving, pulling clips from the viewer into the canvas, working my magic... and then I realized I have no idea how to add text or add new clips without shifting all the other clips- ahhhhhh.  Someone rescue me... anyone!  

I do think, despite all this negative talk, that it will be very gratifying once all these videos are finished and I have added music and made them look bad ass ;)  ...hopefully that will happen sooner than later! 

8 episodes, 6 kids, 1 crazy day!

We had a lot of fun but it has been pure craziness for the past... oh, 3 weeks! Totally worth it though and I could not have done it without Jim and Pete (of course), all the parents who brought their kids to cook with me and most of all, my mom!
We filmed episodes for Healthy Child's website, but here is the catch... I HAVE TO DO THE EDITING!!! If this whole experience (meaning from developing the concept of Nourish This on) has taught me anything its that if you want to achieve something, anything important to you, you better be prepared to work your ass off! If I was unwilling to step into other rolls... production, sales, manager, and now webisode editor- I would not get anywhere!
It is definitely a good lesson to be learned. I believe more every day and with every project I try to complete that persistence is the seed to success. If you don't give up on yourself, no matter how frustrating the process may be at times, you will reach your goal eventually. Its those who give up, who surrender to the speed bumps (and sometimes mountains) in their way who don't reach their dreams. It is difficult not to at times, believe me, I have to fight off the urge to surrender, go back to teaching or art therapy and then I realize that is not really an option for me. This is what I love to do, this is what drives me to work harder and keep going so no, its really not an option for forfeit at any point.
So, I will learn Final Cut Express! Yes folks, I will. It may take me about 8 years but stay tuned, it will happen! Ha ha
Well, I better get back to my online tutorials or it will take 8 years! I posted a few pics from the shoot. It really was so much fun, I loved being back on camera in the kitchen!

New Healthy Child Widget!

Food Dyes... What Were They Thinking?!

Ok, I think that people in this world are going a little mad.  

Healthy Child has a Facebook page and they post current information/articles periodically.  Today I read a post about food dyes from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy providing a Guide To Food Dyes.  

Not so shocking was the fact that food dyes are found in processed foods like sprinkles, all sorts of candies, and even things like lime sherbet.  Clearly food dyes are used to attract children, a clever marketing scheme, but a disturbing thought.  Food dyes have been linked with provoking hyperactivity in children and linked with several other health issues in children.  

Here comes the really maddening part... this article reveals that food dyes are also used on produce to enhance the color and make them more appealing to the consumer!  You think you are doing something healthy by providing a "whole food" for your child and in fact it has been sprayed with dyes!  Food dyes have also been found on the casings of some hot dogs and even in butter.  

Ok, now that I totally freaked you out, not to fear... there are simple steps you can take to avoid your exposure.  Check out the link I provided above and find out what you can do.  Clearly buying organics and whole foods is the number one step, but things have to change, when you pick up an orange you should be able to trust that thats all it is!

New Content on Nourish This!

We launched a bunch of new content today on Nourish This!  We added several new recipes including a fun new breakfast idea you have to check out called "Rice Scramble," a great, incredibly simple pink lemonade, quinoa tabbouleh (shown above) and lots more!  

Dr. Peter Bongiorno (one of our Naturopathic advisors) added a lot of info for you this month with quick summaries of research on issues such as breast cancer and kidney failure... and on a more preventative note, he wrote about how cruciferous veggies like broccoli and brussels can help ward off cancer!  Yay for broccoli!  ...I will have to think of a couple fun recipes with broccoli for next month :)

Hmmm, what else did we add?  OH, Jennifer Eastes, our Environmentalist wrote about water bottles and how much of an impact drinking from them has on the health of our bodies AND the earth.  Plus, we attached a video from YouTube illustrating her point, it is definitely a must-see!  ...I should have provided a link to Klean Kanteen or Camelbak at the bottom of the article, would have been fitting for sure!  Incase you have not heard of them, they are both BPA free water bottles made from both stainless steal and BPA/phathalate free plastics.  Anyway, check out her article, you will never look at a bottle of water the same again, and thats a good thing!

Other than that, we are filming for the Healthy Child, Healthy World videos on Monday so looking forward to that!  I have a line-up of cuties accompanying me so it should be a blast :)  Ciao for now!

Birthday Cake!

Well, I made my own birthday cake this year... although I have to say, my mom made a valiant effort to take the reins but I insisted.  Baking gluten-free is a challenge, but making an angel food cake gluten-free without sugar or xantham gum is another story entirely!! 

Like I was going to let anything stand in the way of me and birthday cake!  HA.

So, I whipped the eggs, folded the flour, prayed to the God of angel food cake while I added the forbidden liquid (maple syrup) to my peaked whites and poof, delicious, fluffy Birthday Cake was born!  I have to admit on top of the culinary difficulties we were also amidst the most humid part of the summer and I was cooking in a kitchen without AC... so we had a slight deflating issue.  No biggy, it was still fluffy and so so good.  

Being my birthday and all, I felt like I deserved a kicked-up version so I made a mixed berry syrup with fresh blueberries, strawberries, maple syrup, water, orange juice and half of a cinnamon stick.  I could literally eat that stuff with a spoon.  

I know this is completely not "Nourish This" philosophy of a well-rounded meal but I totally had cake dripping with sweet berry sauce for breakfast and loved every second of it!  Although, I do have to say that "Nourish This" (a.k.a. me) certainly believes in eating what you love as long as it is in moderation.  When it is a special occasion or you are really craving something, go for it, you only live once!  Plus, when you try to ignore cravings, the size of the craving grows until instead of being satisfied with one slice of cake you won't be satisfied until you have devoured a whole one!  Yeah, lets not let that happen, go for the piece and move on!

Pink Lemonade

Wow, I have been such a slacker lately with my blogging!  I have been super busy this past month, which is always a good thing but does not leave me too much time.  I have been trying to experiment with new recipes for next month's additions to the website but I am also preparing for my shoot for Healthy Child, Healthy World.  I have reached out to like-minded companies for product sponsorship and have been so incredibly lucky!  In the past week I received shipment from Scandanavian Child, Le Creuset, Alternative Apparel and Glass Lock!  Wow, I mean, could that be more exciting?? :)

There is still so much left to do but I am trying not to be overwhelmed!  

Although it has not been terribly hot this summer... and by not terribly hot I mean I think I have seen the sun a total of 5 days so far.  Bummer.  However, it is a goal of mine to take advantage of every gorgeous moment so I have been on a few kayaking trips, camping, walking, etc.  All of which have put me in the mood for an old summer classic: pink lemonade!

Of course I do not eat refined sugar, so how in the world do you make pink lemonade without killing yourself in sourness?!  I tried Truvia this week because I have used Stevia for a while and gave in to the marketing trap and needed to know what I was missing.  Its ok but I have to find out if it has "other" ingredients in it besides stevia.  Stevia is a natural sweetener made from the leaves of a plant and does not register on the glycemic index at all and has no calories.  Pretty sweet deal if you ask me!  haha, yeah I know, I'm not that funny ;)

Anyway, I made a couple varieties of lemonade but liked the simplest one the best: the juice from one whole lemon, 1 tsp. of stevia and 1/4 cup of unsweetened cranberry juice, about 3/4 cup of water and several ice cubes.  So fantastically refreshing you absolutely cannot go another sunny day without trying it.  And don't tell me you don't have time cause it takes about 30 seconds!

Alright, I am off to cook dinner... confetti turkey burgers, orangey sweet potato strings and roasted asparagus. YUM.

Mer and Meatloaf

My good friend Meredith came over today to keep me company (and ultimately help maintain my sanity) while I experimented with recipes for my upcoming HCHW webisodes.   The goal of the day was to sneak veggies into every food possible to help mom's and dad's get their potentially uninterested children to eat veggies!  

SO, in 3 hours I made: Carrot Crackers (need tweaking), Quinoa and Veggie Meatloaf, Secret Spaghetti Sauce (cause it has so many veggies!!) and finally Wild Smoothies (cause I added spinach!).  Whew!  Oh, and I had an extra ripe plantain (maduros) hanging around so I baked it in the oven for an extra treat... yeah, I need to take a load off.  

The verdict?  Well, all I know is Mer went home stuffed and I don't think either one of us will be needing dinner tonight.  According to my taste-tester aficionado, thumbs up on the meatloaf and spaghetti sauce, maybe a touch less spinach in the smoothie (I went a little slap happy with the spinach!), and crackers had great flavor but work on the texture.  Oh, and Mer recommends dipping the crackers in the spaghetti sauce :)

I will work on all of these to make them even better, the first try is always the toughest, especially when you cook 5 NEW recipes in 3 hours!  Sometimes you feel like a nut... this time I do, but I will keep trying until those crackers come out perfect.  No pictures of the food for now, I want to keep you guessing until I achieved perfection... or close enough to it!  This picture is of the two of us making collaborative artwork, a portrait of Mer's first house many moons ago when we were in graduate school together.

Thanks for the help!!

Knee Schmee

I have had a solid 9 operations on my left knee alone... and 3 in the past 6 months.  To say the least I am sick of being knee-restricted!  After my surgery in December I could not walk for three months and then had another surgery and could not walk for another 2... not cool, not cool at all.  For those of you who don't know me on a personal level, I love being active- whether I am walking, hiking, kayaking, tossing the football with my brother or dad, biking, doing yoga, etc., I love love love to move!  This past week has been one of the best for me knee-wise and that in combination with the fact that it was sunny for the first time in about 8 weeks, I went a little berserk!  

From the second I woke up and saw the sun I was psyched... made breakfast, went for a walk and then decided it was time to attempt outdoor biking for the first time (since my surgery).  I took my bike out of the garage, which was filled with cobwebs, dirt and buggies... hosed it down and hopped on.  Ok, I TRIED to hop on.  Yeah, not so successful!  After about 3 tries (I felt like I was 4 again!), I was able to get up on the bike and pedal fast enough not to tip over!  The first two tries I did in fact fall over, kind of a slow motion fall where if I could actually move my leg well enough I could have dismounted the bike instead of getting tangled in it, but alas I was not so nimble!

After conquering the pedaling, I made it about 3 laps around my house!!  YEAHHHHH, I was thrilled.  Yes, the pain started shortly after that and I had to call it quits for the day but whatever, bike ride outdoors- check!  

Then I thought it would be a great idea to put air back into every sports ball we had in the garage, dust them off and give them a spin.  For the next hour I was shooting hoops, bumping the volleyball and hitting the whiffle ball across the yard.   It was close to dinner time so I went in and made... hmmm, what was it.  Oh, creamy spinach and lentil stew.  Dinner $5.35/person, Whiffle Ball $.99, playing all day like a 5 year old- priceless.

Peach and Nectarine Tart, Mmmmm, so good!

Ok, so we had a basket of peaches and nectarines ripening on my countertop... all looking incredibly desirable in perfect hues of orange and rustic reds.  Clearly I had to do something with them!  A sweet peach on its own is already a mouthwatering treat but I was in the mood to make it something special. 

I have made gluten-free pie crust before (pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving) and it turned out surprisingly well so I thought I would give it another whirl.  I threw together a pie crust (made with sorghum flour, brown rice flour, a little sea salt and organic butter), divided it into two and rolled out (very gently might I add!) two individual tart crusts.  

To make the filling, I mixed together the peaches and nectarines with a little cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice with a drizzle of maple syrup.  Let me just say that when I peeled the peach it was so ripe the sweet juices were running down my hands... thats when you know its going to be damn good!

I digress!  Anyway, so I wanted to make two varieties (as you can see above) one plain with a simple crumb topping and the other with slivered almonds, pistachios and unsweetened dried cranberries.  I am always adding nuts to things, I don't know what my deal is, maybe its a phase... Well, they both came out pretty fantastic but I actually preferred the plain.  Hmm, maybe its time to give the nuts a break!  I mean they are really healthy so I guess I will just go back to using them occasionally :)

This recipe will be posted in July's NourishThis.com updates.

Oh, I topped this one with coconut ice cream... non-dairy/soy/gluten but incredibly creamy and delicious.

Healthy Child Videos

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I have some exciting news!  I am going to be shooting webisodes for Healthy Child Healthy World.  They are a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and bringing awareness to harmful chemicals and toxins in our world that have a grave impact on children's development.  They are updating their website to include an entire section dedicated to recipes and nutritional information for parents and the public, which is where my web videos will be hosted.  You can check out their current website (www.healthychild.org).  

Here's the catch... because they are a non-profit, they do not have funding for webisodes so I have to figure it out on my own!  Zoiks!  I was told to check out local colleges for people interested in volunteering... but if anyone knows someone who might be interested in volunteering for this project, I would greatly appreciate it!  

Peter, Pina, little Sophia... and new inspiration

I REALLY need to get in the habit of being attached to my camera because it would have come in handy this weekend.  I went to Long Island to visit/plan/hang-out with my partners/advisors, Dr. Peter Bongiorno and Dr. Pina LoGiudice (and their precious 13 month old baby girl- Sophia).  It is always inspiring to get together with them.  I learn so much, but best of all, our conversations usually shifts my perspective slightly, opening my eyes to new possibilities for Nourish This.

Equally inspiring on this particular visit was our deliciously authentic take-out!  We debated about whether we would go to the grocery store and prepare lunch ourselves or if we should order take-out from either a Turkish or Indian restaurant... as soon as Peter and Pina mentioned Masala Dosas (which I had never tried before) both of their eyes lit up so bright I could hardly resist finding out what was so exciting!  Well, the pancakes came and they were HUGE, super thin and sort of stretchy... maybe I am not making them sound as appealing as they were!  They are made from lentil and garbanzo bean flours (are gluten-free) and taste terrifically light and tender.  They came with curried potato and onion as well as a few dipping options (what looked like a cilantro pesto of sorts, a spicy tomato based sauce and tomato chutney).  I am not sure if we ordered this separately, but it also came with a cold coconut spread, a slightly lighter and chunkier consistency than hummus-which I adored. 

Peter explained  that in ayurvedic medicine, the idea is to eat a variety in each meal, both sweet and savory, warm and cold, etc.  In doing so, the body is being completely satisfied... interesting thought.  I have to say I was definitely full and satisfied but not uncomfortably stuffed after that amazing lunch.  

Like I said... should have taken a picture :(  Next time, I promise!

ps- Pina found this photo for me on http://www.indianfoodforever.com/snacks/masala-dosa.html, so there ya go!

Devolve Clothing meets Nourish This!

I am planning a surprise... next month we are going to be selling the Nourish This T'shirt, designed by Josh Lee from Devolve Clothing!  I know Josh from college and he used to make all of his close friends these shirts/sweatshirts, etc.; each of which was completely unique and made by hand.  Now he has created a slightly more sophisticated approach and turned it into a business!  

So, of course when I thought of making Nourish This T's I had to ask Josh to help me out.  I know some of you know that I am an artist, but I am more of the paint on canvas, sketch with charcoal or sit down in a gorgeous spot and whip out the watercolors... BIG difference when you are trying to make a design look rockin' on a T-shirt!  I am not that cool!

Anyway, I cannot wait to see what Josh comes up with.  I mean, I thought it would be funny just to put "Nourish This" across the chest of a white T and call it a day!  I'm sure leaving it up to Josh was a better move :)  I know you will be sitting on the edge of your seat, just like me, but you will have to wait until next month... patience my friends, patience ;)

Re-Launch

Today is Nourish This' 1 Month anniversary!  Wahooooo!

We are launching a bunch of new and improved recipes/articles/tips as well as doing some re-structuring.  Added to the "recipe" page will be a new "Gluten-Free Bakery" section with baked goods ranging from waffles to muffins (pictured above) and everything in between!  We already have three recipes to start you off.

I am not going to get you too excited, but I spoke to my web designer today (Kevin) and we talked about re-writing NourishThis.com in this really cool new program that will make navigating, searching and using our website even easier... stay tuned on that one though, not sure how long it will take to put into action.  Super exciting stuff though :)

Ok, I hate to cut this short but its 6:30 and my stomach is telling me I better go make dinner- or else! 

Wild Rice Waffles... YUM!

OK, I really nailed it this time!  I spent Saturday experimenting with new recipes for next month's additions to NourishThis.com.  The first recipe I made was wild rice waffles with blanched asparagus, poached egg and a basil "benedict" (I put that in quotes because it was in fact nothing like a benedict but it was meant as a healthy replacement to the indulgent poached egg pair!).  It was so good I could not believe it myself... after a while of eating gluten-free, you have the feeling that you are losing all sense of reality when it comes to acceptable/good tasting breads.  However, my friend Natalia came over later in the afternoon to help me with another recipe and she fell in love with Mr. Wild Rice Waffle, which was both flattering and reassuring.  I think I might have to make her some to keep in her freezer :)

Anyway, I will post the recipe in my "Gluten-Free Bakery" section of my "Recipe" page.  You can check it out there along with a little video we made of how to prepare them. 

Natalia was so much fun to have around yesterday because we decided to film another one of my experimental recipes!  I think we laughed for two hour straight... only to follow that by eating for two hours straight!  We made Red Bell Peppers stuffed with Shrimp, Leeks and Apricots topped with sweet polenta- pretty good but I am going to make a few small adaptations.  After eating our days work, we played football with my brother and another one of our best friends, ate smores around our outdoor fire-pit and then watched a highly idiotic comedy that made us laugh for another two hours straight!  All in all it was a good day.

Thanks Natalia!!

Breakfast made easy

I started off the morning with a great breakfast that I have to share with you!  You probably know by know that I usually like to make everything myself, from scratch... but there are a few exceptions.

I found these great Gluten-Free tortillas at the grocery store... now, they are a "processed" food, but most of the ingredients on the label are those I am familiar with and the only one I have a slight problem with is corn starch.  However, I do not eat these tortillas as a main staple in my diet so I feel that once in a while is A-OK!  The other "processed" food I used was Dr. Praeger's Spinach patties... I completely trust these patties, they are made from whole food ingredients (made with spinach, potatoes, onions and arrowroot flour), they are gluten-free and taste outstanding.  Again, I do not eat them all the time, but as a treat, they are wonderful.

So, this morning I scrambled some eggs... the best, fluffiest scrambled eggs are whisked together with a small splash of cold water, a dash of sea salt and black pepper, cooked over medium-low heat (and not malled to death by your spatula- be gentle people!).  While the eggs were scrambling, the spinach patty was heating up in my toaster oven (no, I do not own a microwave- and besides the toaster makes the edges crispy), and I put the tortilla on top of the toaster just to warm it up.  

When everything was ready, I broke the patty apart on top of the tortilla and then gently placed my scrambled eggs... folded it in half and tadaaaaa, perfect breakfast.  Well, with a side of mixed berries and green tea of course ;)

At the weeks end

It has been a busy week... but an unexpectedly good one.  I hosted a cooking class, worked, gave a healthy eating lecture at Norwalk Hospital (pictured above) and stumbled upon a few interesting possibilities for the future... which I will get to at another time, don't want to jinx myself!  

The cooking class went well, I host all different themed classes (all healthy food of course); allergy-free cooking, cooking for optimal health, quick and easy meals, cooking for kids, etc.  This class was a gluten-free cooking class so I made gluten-free fluffy pancakes, open-faced chicken salad and roast veggie sandwich and breaded/herb-crusted tilapia with sauteed kale and roast butternut squash.  I had two hours and basically 3 meals, but it was great, I had a lot of fun and it seemed like those attending were happy with the food and what they learned.

Talking at Norwalk was exciting... my brother is a doctor there so there were some familiar faces in my talk/demonstration.  It presents an interesting challenge when talking to doctors about nutrition/food/pesticides, etc.  Doctors know a great deal about the body and health, however, they are not taught as much about nutrition and ways of healing that are less (or not at all) scientifically based.  On the one hand you don't want to stand in front of doctors and look like a freak talking about how vegetable juice cured your health conditions... but you also need to illustrate that there is a powerful connection between the choices we make and the affect on our bodies.  My perspective was based on personal experience... that I went through a lot of doctors, specialists, etc. to figure out the health issues I was having and it was not until I looked at it from a holistic perspective that I started to heal.  Therefore, I think it helps to show the doctors that I am not telling them what I learned in school, but what I experienced as an individual.  I hope to have made an impact on some of them, they were very receptive and appreciative.  I was lucky to have such a great group... or maybe I am a little biased!