Tag Archives: Healthy Eating

Mom’s Homemade Carrot Cookie Recipe

Posted in Recipes by

Growing up I can always remember my mom’s carrot cookies. I can’t specifically remember any occasion that would call for them, but when she surprised my brother and I with a batch it always brought a feeling of joy, comfort, and warmth to me. However no matter how great this surprise was nothing beat actually being able to make the cookies with my mom in the kitchen, for those are probably some of my most cherished childhood memories involving food.

photo 1

 The first thing we would do is grab the vintage Pyrex mixing bowls out of the cabinet, a gift mom and dad received the year they were married back in 1970. To this day vintage Pyrex are the only bowls I can use to mix in, otherwise cooking just does not feel the same to me. My set is from the flea market and every time I grab them it reminds me of my moms.

After setting out our tools we would precisely measure and pour all of the ingredients carefully into the bowl and I would use a giant wood spoon to gradually turn the batter over and over again until it was blended just right. Of course my favorite part of this whole experience was just after everything had been mixed taking the spoon and licking the batter completely off of it. I would then use my finger and wipe my way around the bowl’s rim to make sure and get every last drop I could.

photo 4

 Next my mom and I would carefully place small dollops of the batter onto the greased cookie sheet making sure each cookie was just the right size before placing it into the warm oven.  I remember just waiting in anticipation for the timer to go off. Staring at it as if it would make the time go faster. Once the buzzer would sound my mom would pull the cookies out and take her spatula and place each one out onto the newspaper we had laid out in order for them to cool off.  On a cold Colorado winter day nothing beats warm cookies coming straight from the oven. I hated the 10 minutes I would have to wait till they were cool enough to eat.   However after all of the waiting it was always worth it. The moment the warm cookie touched my lips I could taste the sweetness from the coconut, the hint of vanilla which gave it just a little something extra, the richness from the butter, and just the overall chewy deliciousness that were them.

photo 3

These cookies are not the healthiest per say, however life has to be about these small doses of enjoyment. These are the memories that stick with us as adults and become our comfort on a cold day. Just one taste as an adult brings you right back to the place you enjoyed them as a child. The tricky part is learning how to appreciate them in moderation, something I personally have struggled my whole life with. Last night after a hard day and needing to decide what to make for a for bake sale fundraiser at work I finally landed on the idea that I needed a little comfort in my night and so I decided the carrot cookies were in order. Below is my mom’s original recipe, I hope you all enjoy them as much as I have over the years!

Carrot Cookie Recipe

1 cup. flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp soda
1/2 cup. white sugar
1/2 cup. brown sugar (use less of both sugars if desired)
1/2 tsp vanilla (I used lemon as I was out of vanilla and it tasted amazing)
1 egg
1/2 cup. grated carrots (I used the pre-grated ones from Trader Joes. Quick and Easy)
3/4 cup. rolled oats
1/4 cup. wheat germ
1/2 cup. coconut
1/2 cup. butter or margarine (I used 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup un-sweetened applesauce to cut calories)

Combine dry ingredients.Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla.
Stir in rest of ingredients

Bake 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Makes 4 dozen

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 5/11/14

Posted in Books and Articles by

Happy Sunday everyone! Below is this weeks article roundup, enjoy!

‘Fed Up’ Asks, Are All Calories Equal? – This article touches on the popular subject right now of childhood obesity. I for one am very passionate about this subject and definitely want to see the documentary. You can tell from the movie trailer though that this documentary has a very strong point of view. Some of the scary facts I took away were in two decades 95% of the American population will be either overweight or obese and by 2050 one third of the population will have diabetes.  Something to think about…..

Could a Few Beers a Week Cut a Woman’s RA Risk– If only alcohol was the cure for everything! However like anything else that seems to good to be true, the article states this is merely a correlation with alcohol consumption and arthritis reduction, but can not be relied on for cause and effect.  “Long-term moderate alcohol drinking appeared to reduce the risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis, Lu said. But drinking a few beers per week seemed to have the best effect, providing a 31 percent reduction in risk.”

Life With a Dog: You Meet People– For all of us who are pet owners it is nice to read the various benefits of being a dog owner. This article is more or less a feel good piece with some health and medical finding’s added in. “Studies of the health ramifications have strongly suggested that pets, particularly dogs, can foster cardiovascular health, resistance to stress, social connectivity and enhanced longevity.”

Too much protein in middle age ‘as bad as smoking’– If you are anything like me then you grew up being told to make sure and eat enough protein. I for one have never been a huge meat eater, so I have to work to balance my protein intake through other foods like beans, lentils, greek yogurt, eggs, and tofu.  This article challenges the idea of how much protein we really need to consume in our diet and shows research on how eating it in excess can actually be bad for you.

Why Does Your Willpower Wane? And 7 Tips to Pump Up Your Willpower Muscle– Willpower is an interesting concept and the study has some great findings. Regardless on the verdict I think the 7 tips are really worthwhile to look at. “Does willpower get used up if you push it too much, or is it all in your mind? According to the American Psychological Association, there is a robust body of evidence to support that willpower may in fact be a limited resource.”

 

2013-07-29-KALE_original1

Photo from Huffpost

 

Saturday Morning Farmers Market- When Pictures Are Better Than Words

Posted in San Francisco, Things I Love by

photo 4

Happy Saturday everyone! After having two back to back weeks of work travel and then a week with commitments almost everyday after work I decided I  needed a “me” morning to myself.  Now if you have never done a “me” morning before let me just say first you need to. “Me” mornings are those mornings where everything is focused on what you want to do. No obligations, no watch, nothing has to get done, just time to enjoy the simple things in life that make you happy. These mornings can be the most therapeutic for me personally and are a great way to re-charge your life battery.

photo 15

For me that meant starting my day by sleeping in with no alarm clock. I woke up to the sun creeping in through the curtains, feeling the slight coolness from the slow morning breeze, all while being tucked under the warmth of my comforter.  Leisurely I got up and slowly started my day. Once I made it from my sleeping cocoon I took the dog for a walk and then proceeded to go on a run. My initial thought was to just do 5 miles, but today I had the running gods with me and it just felt easy. With no commitments or obligations I decided to just keep going until my body decided it was done. That ended up being a little over an hour (66 minutes to be exact) and 10.10 miles.

photo 14

After my run a shower and getting ready was in order. After an intense exercise nothing is as calming and rejuvenating as a long hot shower. There is also something so nice to not have to worry about being ready by a certain time and just being able to enjoy the moment. Part of my “me” day also consisted of wearing my weekend clothes. You know that ratty old t-shirt and torn up comfy jeans that are perhaps not work appropriate, but for a Saturday morning they are just what you want to wear and make you feel good the moment you slip both on. I hope everyone has a weekend outfit that gives them the same satisfaction!

photo 5

Next I decided to grab a cup of coffee at my local joint and make my way to the neighborhood farmers market. Let me just say I love going to the farmers market. Strolling through the crowd, seeing what people are excited about, tasting everything I possibly can, the vibrant colors, the sweet smells from the fruit, and just getting inspired by wholesome food. Cherries and Strawberries are in season right now and the market was full of them! The strawberries below were some of the sweetest and most delicious ones I have tasted in a long time. I left the market with 2 very full bags of fresh produce.

photo 2

The morning ended with me heading back  home and making a delicious breakfast to enjoy while reading some news articles, which you will all see tomorrow! I sat at my dinner table over looking the window and enjoyed another cup of coffee, some overnight oats (a mixture of yogurt and oats), fresh cherries and strawberries from the market, and a piece of whole wheat toast with my friend Jaclyn’s homemade jam on top. My mission was accomplished, my “me” morning put me into a relaxed place and was a great way to end my week.

photo 13

Quick and Easy Pizza Recipe, Yes Please!

Posted in Food and Drinks, Recipes by

The last thing anyone wants to do after a long day of working is to run to the grocery store, pick up ingredients, and come home to make dinner. This is where I have become the Queen of making something out of what you have already at home. One of my go to easy meals is homemade pizza. I would love to say I am ambitious enough after work to make my own pizza crust, but let’s be real. I use the pre-made crusts you can find at pretty much any grocery store. My favorite kind is from Whole Foods in their 365 Everyday Value Brand. It is easy to keep the crust in the freezer and just grab out one morning when you know you are going to want to have a quick and easy dinner.

photo

Now what goes on the pizza is where my creativity gets to come out. Instead of buying specific pizza toppings I like to use what I can find around the house. I have tried almost every type of vegetable, meat, and even various fruits, potatoes, and eggs. I have to say I have made some delicious concoctions. This last week I made two pizza’s, one savory and one sweet.

photo 1

For the savory pizza I used marina sauce, 1 red bell pepper, mushrooms, and beyond meatless chicken which is just a soy protein meat alternative. In order to make this pizza pop I added some garlic salt, a little cumin, a pinch of sea salt, and basil. Now you might notice there is one key ingredient missing from my pizza that most people find is a pretty integral part, cheese. I typically tend to pass on adding cheese to homemade pizza. Although I love cheese and I eat it quite often, I find pizza tastes just as good without it and saves a ton of calories. In order to save time I buy a lot of my vegetables pre-cut from trader joes, this makes throwing something together even faster and easier.

 photo 2

For the sweet pizza I skipped the sauce and sprayed the pizza with some olive oil to start. Next I sliced up a red pear, added sliced mushrooms, beyond meatless chicken, and arugula. I drizzled some balsalmic vinegar over the top, added a splash of salt, and some rosemary.  For both Pizza’s I put in the oven for about 10 minutes and everything was cooked perfectly. If you are cooking thicker vegetables like squash, cauliflower, or broccoli I recommend cooking them a little first before adding them on the pizza. I will roast those types of veggies for about 10 minutes before putting onto the pizza and then cooking for an additional 10 minutes. Of the two pizza’s this sweeter one ended up being my favorite!

The Whole Foods pizza crust clocks in at 160 calories a serving with 8 servings in a total pizza. I typically will cut my slices into smaller slices so it feels like I am eating more. I find I am typically satisfied with about 3 small slices (about 2 actual servings according to the food label) as long as I am eating it with a giant salad. Partnering pizza with a bunch of veggies is a great way to balance the indulgence with something nutritious.  Also by getting full on greens first you end up eating less pizza, but you still feel like you have not had to deprive yourself. If you mainly use vegetables and fruit for your pizza and avoid cheese you are looking at around 200 calories a slice, not too shabby!