Chocolate Bites

Hi Everyone!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Just thought I would take a quick minute to share with you a yummy AND healthy dessert that I made for my family to enjoy today.

A year ago this month, I went cold turkey giving up refined sugar.  For me, this was a test, to see if it would actually make a difference in my blood sugar since the previous time I had my blood labs done I had actually tested into the pre-diabetic range.  And let's just say, the land of diabetes is NOT a place I want to visit.  So I told myself that I was just going to give up sugar temporarily to see if it would actually make a difference.  When I had my blood work done again at the end of February, the good news is it made a HUGE difference.  The bad news is that it made a HUGE difference.  I had known for a long time that SUGAR was my addiction.  I am not saying everyone is addicted to sugar if you eat it--but for ME, it is VERY addicting.  Like, I find it hard to eat just a little bit of a sugary something.   My hubby can do this just fine--not me.  He can have a bag of candy, and just occasionally eat a piece.  His bag of candy will last him for months.  For me--an open bag is an empty bag!

SO.  That month that I gave up ALL refined sugar, I had withdrawal like something terrible.  I spent probably three solid weeks in cravings.  Every time the cravings were really strong, I ate another piece of fruit.  It wasn't WHAT I was craving, but it was something sweet and the fiber DID help fill me up.  Ever notice that when you are stuffed full you really don't have food cravings? It didn't make my cravings totally go away, but it definitely helped!

I have noticed something else about sugar and my body.  When I eat a lot of sugar, I am DEFINITELY more short-tempered with anyone who is around me.  I hate that.  That is NOT the kind of person I want to be, and I could see it very clearly.  After my "cold turkey" month, I allowed myself to occasionally eat something with sugar in it, and I could see very clearly that if I ate beyond a VERY tiny amount, I would just become irritated and I would think to myself "Why am I feeling this way?  Whatever they did really isn't that big of a deal?" And then I realized--I had eaten some sugary dessert.

ANYWAY, this is a long way to say that based on my little experiment, I realized I needed to seriously make some changes to my consumption of sugar.  Nowadays, I will occasionally allow myself a VERY small amount of refined sugar--like perhaps a tiny bit of chocolate, but I keep these times pretty rare.  I do not want to be back into my sugar addiction and then have to suffer through the cravings and withdrawal again!  Once was more than enough!

So--over the past year I have moved more and more to sweetening with dates.  Yes, I know, someone is going to tell me that dates are also a condensed sugar, and I would agree with you 100%.  Any dried fruit is a condensed fruit sugar.  But for me, eating dates or raisins do not effect me the same way that eating white or brown sugar does--I think because the dried fruit comes still having it's original fiber.  But if you are trying to lose weight, any dried fruit is still much more calorie dense than the fresh fruit, so keep that in mind.

That being said, my daughter wanted a little something special for Valentine's Day today.  I "had" been planning on making some of my Chocolate Tofu pudding--yes, it does have a small amount of refined sugar in it, but just a smidgen and I would put Valentine's Day as one of those "special occasion" types of days.  Problem is, she has come down with a sore throat this week,  so refined sugar of any amount is not going to be a help to her body fighting that sore throat.  So Chocolate Bites was my substitute recipe for something special.  The three simple ingredients were already in my house, and there is nothing in them that will keep her from getting well.  I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Yes--I do know what these kind of look like.  If you want to make them look a bit nicer, roll them in some unsweetened coconut.  I didn't have any of the fine shredded coconut in my kitchen at the moment, having only the large type which is way too large to roll these in, so we will enjoy them this way.  Just remember what your mother taught you--if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all! ;)

Chocolate Bites
(adapted from original recipe by Nora Cooks www.noracooks.com)

1 1/2 cups walnuts
12 large dates, pitted
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1-3 tablespoons water, as needed

In a food processor with an "S" blade, add the walnuts, dates, and cocoa powder.
Process until a sticky dough is formed, about 1-2 minutes.  You should be able to roll it into balls without the dough falling apart.  If it is still dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the dough is sticky, be careful not to add too much water.  Roll into tablespoon sized balls and place in a container.  Store in the fridge or freezer.

Hope you enjoy this healthy, chocolate treat!

~Susan

Healthy Eating--Calorie Density

Good Morning Everyone!

Sorry I have been missing for a few weeks here--life is always super busy around here, and of course taking care of my families needs is my number one priority. But I love to pop in here and share things that have been helpful to me whenever I can.  I have been blessed by what others have shared on their blogs, and I do hope that my little blog is helpful as well.

Today, I wanted to share with you a little video that explains a health concept VERY well. This is the concept of calorie density. Now I will say right here that I am not a medically trained person--so I cannot give you medical advice. I am simply sharing information that I have personally found helpful. Whatever you may choose to do with this information is between you and your own personal doctor.

I have been a vegeterian since I was a teenager, and then went vegan later when I was married and discovered I had incredibly high cholesterol in my twenties (cheese will do that to you, and cheese was my "meat"). Going vegan definately helped my cholesterol go down some, but in spite of my healthy eating I still struggled with maintaining a healthy weight. I was never in the medically obese catagory, but definitely in the overweight category. And for me, the goal is not to have some "perfect" number on a chart, but rather I want to be in good health and be able to be active so I can be a good mom to our daughter. At age 39, I was already an older mom when she was born. Add to that the fact that she is naturally a very active, high energy child, and I REALLY need to be in good health so I can keep up with her!

Anyway, so now you know some of my background story. The health concept that I learned about several years ago, which has REALLY helped me lose my excess weight is the concept of calorie density.  Being aware of calorie density has helped me make healthier food choices, and yes--along the way I have lost my excess weight. This is NOT a quick fix--it is not a magic pill that you can swallow and wake up slim and trim. It IS, however, knowledge that if put into practice can change unhealthy eating habits and help a person become the healthy size that their body frame was designed to carry.

So what exactly IS calorie density? I am glad you asked! 😉 Today in my email box I found a short video by Chef AJ which explains calorie density beautifully, so I thought I would share it with you here:

Calorie Density

Being aware of calorie density isn't going to change your weight overnight. I have been making better food choices for the past two or three years. Last calendar year, I only lost two pounds a month--no one is going to stop you at the grocery store and ask you what you did when you have lost two pounds that month! But a steady two pounds a month does mean that at the end of 2017 I weighed 24 pounds less than I had at the start of 2017. And doing this for several years now means that for me, I am finally right in the middle of a healthy weight range for my body frame. My doctor is happy--and I am happy. But most of all, I now have more energy for keeping up with my precious daughter!

Hope the video is a help to you!

"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." 3 John 1:2 NIV 

~Susan

Homemade Grape Nuts--Eating Healthy Makes Cents!

My recipe fills a two quart mason jar

Hi Everyone!

It's been a while since I shared a "Eating Healthy Makes Cents" recipe!  I think I need to go back and write down which recipes I have already shared here, or I am going to start sharing the same ones over and over again! ;)  Which I suppose is not the WORST thing, but not exactly how I want to spend my limited blogging time!  

Today's recipe I KNOW I have not shared before, because I just recently found it while looking for something else on-line, and then tweeked it to our tastes/preferences.  The original recipe had one cup of sugar in it--um, no thank you!  If I want one cup of sugar to the ratio of other ingredients in this recipe, I can just go buy a box of fruit loops!  But that is the beauty of making food homemade--you can add or subtract according to your preferences.  :)  

All in all, I really do like this recipe.  It kind of does remind me of the name brand Grape Nuts cereal, but not exactly the same.  I had to laugh when I read the reviews on the site where I found the recipe, because some people were saying how it tastes EXACTLY like the "real" Grape Nuts cereal, and then right after them someone else would say that while they liked the recipe, it tasted NOTHING at all like the "real" Grape Nuts!  So just goes to show you that we all tastes things differently!

But on to the recipe!  It is simple, and much less expensive than purchasing commercially made cereal.  This batch will make and fill up to the top a two quart mason jar that I store it in.  

Homemade Grape Nuts

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar (a bit more if you want it sweet--original recipe calls for 1 cup)

2 cups water

2/3 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix all ingredients together.  If it is too dry, add a tablespoon or more of water.  You are wanting it to be like a thick cake batter.

Spread mixture onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Remove from oven.  It will look like a heavy cake.

Let cool completely--this is hard to wait for when you want to make your recipe! ;)

Once cool, break into large chunks and grind in a food processor until it is like crumbs.

Return those crumbs to a cookie sheet or a large baking pan.  I use my lasagna pan because it has sides on it, and this helps me not spill the cereal when I am stirring it.

Bake in a 250 degree oven for one hour or until crisp, stirring every 15-20 minutes.  

In my oven it is NEVER crisp after only one hour, so I will bake the crumbs for an hour and a half or so, then turn off the oven but leave the cereal in there to finish drying completely. I like to make the recipe in the evening and then leave it in the oven (turned off) over night.  In the morning, the cereal is ready for breakfast!

Baked cake-like cereal on left, crumbs on right

Some variations if you want to add them include adding in some vanilla, or cinnamon or coriander.  Making food yourself, you know exactly what is in it and you can add in your favorite ingredients! And no long ingredient list filled with names you cannot even pronounce, let alone know what they are!

My favorite part--eating it!

And now you have another healthy inexpensive recipe to help stretch those grocery budgets.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

~Susan

Oatmeal Patties--Eating Healthy Makes Cents!

Hi Everyone!

This week's healthy, inexpensive recipe is brought to you in response to a FB question from my friend Pam.  Their family ends up traveling together quite a bit at meal times, and she was looking for some variety of something to put in sandwiches instead of only peanut butter and jelly.  I understand this need so very well!  If you do not eat meat, you can do things like cheese and egg salad for variety--but once I had to cut out dairy from my life, well, it became a choice of peanut butter and jelly or jelly and peanut butter! :)  I LIKE peanut butter and jelly sandwiches--I really do--just not all the time!  And while my tongue loves the taste of some of the meat substitutes out there--my pocket book does NOT like the expense and besides that a lot of them are not really all that healthy.  Just look at the long list of ingredients--if you can't pronounce it, it probably isn't good for you to eat!

ANYWAY, so came about my own personal search for things to stuff into sandwiches that were both healthy and--as always--I wanted them to be cheap as well.  Today's recipe definitely fills both of these requirements.  So instead of sharing the recipe only with Pam, I thought I would post it here on my little blog in case others would like it as well.  I hope your family ends up loving it as much as my family does!

~Susan

 Oatmeal Patties

2 cups water

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. sage

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 cups quick oats

Combine water and seasonings in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add oats and turn heat down to medium. Cook for around 5 minutes until it is thick, stirring constantly.  You are basically making oatmeal--just for the water, you are using seasoned water.  

Remove from the burner and use two spoons to shape into the size patties you want.  Most of the time I make smaller patties and use them on small rolls that I make, but this time I was wanting to use them with regular sliced bread sandwiches, so I made them larger.  I use nonstick baking sheets in my pans.  If you do not have these, just give your pans a quick spray of nonstick spray.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until they are slightly browned on the bottom.  If you try and flip them over and they are still soft like oatmeal, they need to bake longer.  Once they are brown on the bottom, flip them over and bake 15 minutes longer.  In the above picture, the patties closest to me have not been flipped over yet, the patties farther away from me have already been flipped.

And there you have it.  Yummy Oat Patties, fresh from the oven!  The above picture shows this recipe doubled, as I like having enough for my little family to eat for two meals.  I enjoy cooking--but I am so busy all the time that having leftovers the next day is a real blessing.  I love these in sandwiches with lettuce and tomato and a bit of onion--yum!  You can also tear them into smaller pieces and add into any pasta dish for extra yummyness! 

These patties freeze great! And remember--eating healthy does not have to cost a lot!

Light Oat Waffles--Healthy Eating Makes Cents!

Good Morning Everyone!

Thank you for all the positive responses on my Carrot Soup recipe I posted last week!  You all are a brave lot, because so many of you were very excited about trying that recipe--and "Carrot Soup" just isn't a commonly heard of type of soup!  But I hope you do try it and love it as much as I do.

Ever since posting that recipe last week, I have been dutifully taking pictures of different foods as I make them--because, quite frankly, almost ALL of the foods I make on a regular basis are on the economical side of things. . . So I have the recipes and I have the pictures--what I do not usually have is the time to post!  But I thought I would try and make some time this morning, so am posting this even as I am at this moment munching happily away on my plateful of Oat Waffles! :)  The one picture you won't see is a waffle all arranged in a pretty way on a plate and ready to eat.  Why?  Because I ate it--and then thought about that final picture!  But there will be enough pictures to help you know if you want to make these or not, and what stages should look like if you do decide to.  :)

So here it is--my VERY easy famous oat waffle recipe. . . alright, so it may only be famous in my own house, but it certainly IS famous around here! :)  As far as amounts go, I normally will double the recipe amounts, two different times, so in reality I am making four batches of this recipe.  This is to feed four people as a meal, and our family is really three adults and only one child.  This will make enough for all of us to eat like little piggy wiggies, and still have some left ofr the two kids at least to have the next day.  Leftovers heat wonderful in a toaster oven, which will re-crisp the waffles after they become sort of limp from sitting.

Light Oat Waffles

2 1/4 cups water

2 cups regular rolled oats (old-fashioned)

2 Tab. whole grain flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla flavoring

2 Tab. sesame seeds

Place all ingredients except sesame seeds in blender and blend until creamy.

It will look like this--and will be a bit on the runny side but will thicken a bit more as it sits.

Preheat a non-stick waffle iron on high for 5-8 minutes.  This is important, make sure the waffle iron is hot before you put the batter in.  I have two waffle irons, a round one and a large square one, and I will heat both and run them at the same time.  This helps you get more ready for a whole family to sit down and eat them at the same time--otherwise, people can eat in shifts as the waffles come out hot, or you can keep them warm in an oven until you have enough to all sit down, but they will soften and not retain their crispness. 

When waffle iron is ready, sprinkle some sesame seeds on the bottom of the waffle iron, scoop some batter into the iron, and then sprinkle the top batter with more sesame seeds.  Close lid and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until it is lightly browned.  DON'T peak until it has baked at least 10 minutes.  Peaking too early can result in your waffle being torn in two as you open the waffle iron.  Don't ask me how I know this.  Just trust me.  ;)

Eat right away or cool on baking rack before freezing.  If freezing, separate waffles by wax paper and freeze in Ziploc freezer bags.  This turns it into your own convenience food of frozen toaster waffles!  I like to heat them in my toaster oven, but I believe a regular toaster would work the same way--you would just have to tear them in half or whatever size needed for your toaster.

And there you have it.  Really, eating these waffles is just as healthy as eating oatmeal for breakfast.  And with the main ingredients being oats and water, they are super super cheap on the budget as well.  We like to eat them with peanut butter and applesauce and granola on top, or my favorite is with a spread of home made jam.  Today's waffles were eaten with home made strawberry jam and some had orange marmalade jam on them.  Yum yum yum!

Hope you enjoy!  And a big thank you to those who shared some of their healthy, inexpensive foods with me last week.  I am looking forward to trying some of those recipes!  And since today I am posting a healthy breakfast food, what is YOUR favorite healthy breakfast food?

~Susan

Creamy Carrot Soup--Eating Healthy Makes Cents!

Hi Everyone!

I thought I would start a little mini-series today.  It may be "very" mini, as I don't have a lot of time to post on this little blog, but I still wanted to at least do a little bit.  I have been thinking about how often people have the idea that they can't afford to eat healthy--that it costs too much, and that it is too complicated.  Well, I have a smattering of recipes that would argue those thoughts--especially the ones about eating healthy costing too much.  And I just thought I would like to share some of those recipes with you.  

I have no idea how often I will post them, due to lack of time, so this will be a very sporadic series.  But be that as it may, I will share when I can and I hope these recipes help someone.  :)

The first recipe I wanted to share with all of you is for Carrot Soup.  Now I KNOW what you are thinking, because quite frankly the words "Carrot Soup" didn't exactly tork my gibs either!  But once I sampled it, I knew it was a recipe to stay!  And with this being Fall and all, it is the perfect VERY inexpensive meal for those cold days.  These ingredients are inexpensive all the time--but if you have an Aldi's store near you, this week you can make this recipe for dirt cheap, since they currently have a two pound bag of carrots on sale for only 49 cents!  Don't worry if you missed it--they will bring this carrot sale around again.  And every time I see it, I buy a couple extra bags of carrots.  They store well in the fridge, and I know that I am going to put Carrot Soup on my menu! :)

Creamy Carrot Soup--serves 2

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 small onion, diced

1/4 c. instant oats

1/2 c. non-dairy milk (or extra water)

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. allspice

salt to taste

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups water, carrots, onion, and oats over high heat.

2.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium.

3.  Cook, stirring frequently, until carrots are fork-tender, about 5 minutes.

4.  Let cool a bit, then transfer to a blender in batches and combine with non-dairy milk.  Blend until smooth and creamy.

5.  Transfer back to saucepan and stir in ginger and allspice.

6.  Gently reheat, adding in salt to taste.

~~~~~~~~~~

Now, the amounts you see in the pan in the picture are this recipe tripled.  For my family of four, I triple the recipe except I do NOT triple the ginger but only double the ginger.  This is just for my own taste preferences, plus if I make food "too" spicy my youngest does not like it.  So this is my compromise.  But adjust things to your taste.  Also, for the tripled recipe amount I add in 2 tsp. salt.

Hope you enjoy this yummy soup!  And I would LOVE it if you leave me your "go-to" healthy and cheap recipes in the comments section!

Have a beautiful day--and eat healthy!

~Susan

Four Things Everyone Should know about Blood Sugar

http://fpliv.in/sign-up-for-free-blood-sugar-videos

Hi Everyone!

Long time, no post on blog!  I have been SO super busy lately!  And when I haven't been busy, I have been laying on the couch recovering from the flu! Blah!  So much for my having a great Winter health-wise.  Until last week, I had not even had the common cold.  Ah well.  I am thankful that with the help of some antivirus medication, I recovered really rather quickly, so there is always something to be thankful for!

However, enough about that.  I wanted to share with everyone a really neat short video series I found put out by the Full Plate Living people.  It is a series of four videos--not all have been released yet--telling in a clear and easy to understand way how we can help improve our blood sugar levels.  And they do it with FOOD, not drugs, which is always a plus in my opinion!

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it and learn from it as much as I have.  The link is posted above, and I will post the remaining links as they are released. :)

Happy, healthy eating!

~Susan

Walnut Raisin Bread

Hi Everyone!

I thought I would share with you real quick a yummy, healthy treat that we are enjoying this week.  :) It is what I call Walnut Raisin Bread.  Now, I like sweet rolls just as much as anyone else--but I do NOT consider them healthy enough to be a breakfast meal for either myself or my family!  But my Walnut Raisin Bread, well, I put that in an entirely different catagory!  It is real simple to do--one of those foods that you don't really need a recipe for, but sometimes if we do not write it down in a recipe format we kind of forget to make it.

So I thought I would just sort of remind you of doing this type of thing here--just to get your creative juices flowing!  All you have to do is make up a batch of your favorite bread dough--any kind.  If your family only eats bread with white flour, use that--but consider making it a bit healthier by substituting some of the white flour with whole wheat flour in this recipe.  I promise your family will devour this bread whole wheat or no whole wheat, so it is a good chance if you are trying to change taste buds just a bit to find whole wheat more acceptable.  For myself, I will make my bread dough with 100% whole wheat, but I do use the white whole wheat flour that my Walmart store is carrying now.  This is still all whole wheat, but is from a white wheat grain, so makes a lighter color and a bit lighter texture bread.

ANYWAY, so mix up your favorite bread dough recipe.  Once you are at the point in your recipe where you are going to shape the dough and put it in the pans, before you do that roll out your bread dough on the counter and spread a thin layer of applesauce on it.  Then sprinkle away with raisins and chopped walnuts.  You can add cinnamon at this point if you want to, or corriander, or even fresh orange zest (YUM!).  Sometimes I will put on a little sprinkle of brown sugar--just a touch, because I am still trying to keep this a "regular" food and not a "dessert" food!  Once you are done doctoring up your bread dough, roll it up, pinch your seam closed, and place in your bread pan.  Bake it following the times and temperature that your bread recipe calls for.

Once your bread is cool, slice it carefully and toast for breakfast!  I use a toaster oven, which is easier to keep my bread from falling apart when you have swirls in it like this bread does.  Yummy!  For me, this is just as yummy as a sweet roll, but I can eat it for breakfast and feel like I am getting some real nutrition when I eat it.

Hope you enjoy this bread as much as I do! One loaf of this in my house is gone in one meal, so if you are making it you might want to consider making more than one!

~Susan

Introducing "Happy Herbivore Light & Lean!"

Hi Everyone!

Well, as I promised earlier in the week, here are the interview questions that I asked Lindsay and her replies. . . I hope you find something interesting and helpful to you!  Also, just to tempt your taste-buds just a little bit, I have been given permission to post for you one of Lindsay's new recipes that appears in "Happy Herbivore Light & Lean."  I was actually given a short list of recipes that I could choose from--but I could only chose ONE to share with you here.  SO, if you like this one, you just may have to go order yourself a copy of the whole book! :)  As I looked over the title of my recipe options, I decided to choose the "Meatloaf Bites," because--well--because Meatloaf seems the craziest thing to make WITHOUT MEAT, know what I mean???  Anyway, I haven't made this recipe myself yet, but I am planning on it!  And if it is anything like the recipes in the past three Happy Herbivore books, I know I will LOVE it! :)  And now, onto the interview!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Susan:  I have heard that apples are a food that you should buy organic since the chemicals they are sprayed with accumulate in the peeling.  If a person cannot afford to buy organic produce, is it better for them to just not eat the peel?  The peeling has a lot of nutrition, but would it be more hazardous than helpful in this case?

Lindsay:  I'm not a scientist, nutritionist or other expert so I can't really say much except I think it's far better to eat a conventional apple than an organic potato chip. Don't get me wrong, I think organic is great, but if you don't have access to organics, or you can't afford them, that's okay. Just focus on eating plant foods. That's more important. Do the best you can.

Susan:  My daughter and I fell in love with the Banana Ice Cream Breakfast from the menu plan, and sometimes she asks for it every single day.  I am happy to make it for her, but sometimes I worry that maybe we are over doing it with eating so many bananas (the two of us end up eating around five frozen bananas when I make this, so 2 1/2 each).  Sometimes after we have eaten the Banana Ice Cream for breakfast, she will also ask for a banana based smoothie for desert at lunch time.  Should the daily/weekly number of fruits be limited to avoid raising your triglycerides?

Lindsay:   I'm thrilled to hear the meal plans are a hit with your daughter! Woot! That said, I'm not a nutritionist, or a doctor, so I can't say much. However, in my personal opinion, I think it's far better she's addicted to bananas than PopTarts. Variety is great, but I wouldn't obsess over it. Most kids are picky and go through phases with foods. They'll eat blueberry muffins nonstop and then never eat them again. It's just kids being kids ;) If you can get in some more variety, great, but unless your doctor is worried, I wouldn't be worried that a child loves a fruit :)  

Susan:  Sometimes my husband who is a teacher has literally 15 minutes to eat lunch between one class ending and the next beginning.    

He does not have time to eat a "real" meal, but could eat a small snack type food.  We want to avoid the typical potato chip route, but need something already prepared that is just as quick to grab--any suggestions?

Lindsay:  Sandwiches, muffins, precut vegetables, fruit, beans and rice, soup in a thermos, any of the lunches on the meal plan (getmealplans.com) since they're all made ahead and ready-to-eat. 

Susan:   I make my own bread with 100% whole wheat and leave out all oil, but I have heard that even bread made this way is not really a "whole food."  I have wondered why, since all the fiber from the grain is still remaining.  Any thoughts on bread/pancakes/crackers/etc.?  If they are whole grain and oil free, are they something we can eat a lot of or should we still be limiting them a bit?

Lindsay:   I look at things on a sliding scale. Yes, there is no such thing as a whole-wheat bread tree. Whole-wheat bread is not a whole food in the sense that broccoli is a whole food. Whole-wheat bread, or more specifically, the whole wheat flour used to make the bread, is a broken down grain. It's a very concentrated source of calories. Yes, homemade, 100% whole-wheat bread made without oil is light years healthier than the junky white bread at the store with a million ingredients you can't pronounce, but it's still not as whole as, say, an apple, or brown rice.

        I tell my clients to eat as many whole, unprocessed plant foods as possible. Really stick to whole grains like brown rice, beans, lentils, fruits and vegetables. Broken grains like whole-wheat bread or even whole-wheat pasta are fine as long as they accent the diet, but they should not be a staple, and they should be a small serving with a big serving of other whole foods. For example with the pasta, have a little bit of pasta mixed with a ton of vegetables, not just a big bowl of pasta.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meatloaf Bites from "Happy Herbivore Light & Lean"
by Lindsay Nixon

Makes 8

Gluten-free, Quick, Budget

One afternoon I grabbed what I thought was corn from the freezer but later realized it was mixed vegetables. Once they thawed on the counter I knew they weren’t going back in, so I looked for a new, inventive way to use them. A can of kidney beans started calling, and before I knew it I had a vegetable-filled meatloaf in the oven. Since this meatloaf is baked in a muffin tin (great for serving sizes and portion control), I call it meatloaf “bites” and, yes, leftovers are great as a burger!

1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp chili powder (add another 1 tsp if you like it spicy)
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (recipe in full cookbook)
1 c frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
6 tbsp instant oats

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or use nonstick. Mash beans in a bowl with
fork or potato masher until well mashed. Add remaining ingredients, except oats, and stir to combine.
Stir in oats. Spoon into muffin tin and pack down. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp on the outside and
fairly firm to the touch (firms a bit as it cools). Serve with ketchup, Quick Gravy (pg. 188), etc.

Per Bite
Calories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Fat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7g
Carbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.9g
Fiber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.5g
Sugars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3g
Protein. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.8g
WW Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you all have enjoyed this little interview and the new recipe!  Truly Lindsay's recipes have been such a blessing in my own life--I hope they are a help to you as well!

~Susan

It's Coming! Happy Herbivore Light & Lean Blog Tour!

Hi Everyone!

I have some VERY exciting news to share with all of you!  If any of you hang around me in "real life," and the topic of conversation turns to food and recipes you will soon realize that I am a huge fan of Lindsay Nixon--a.k.a. "The Happy Herbivore."

I first "discovered" Lindsay almost exactly a year ago.  I had read over that summer the excellent book called "The China Study" and became convinced that I really needed to pay better attention to the food I was eating and what I was feeding my family.  I was already a vegetarian, and even around 99% vegan--so "thought" I was doing pretty good.  Well, after reading "The China Study," I realized that I was wrong and that there were quite a few areas of my eating and cooking that should be cleaned up--and we would all be happier and healthier if I did.

WELL, being convinced that you need to stop eating some things is good.  But that still leaves you with a big hole of what you WILL be eating if you are not eating what you used to eat!  After much searching, I ran across Lindsay's web site The Happy Herbivore (www.happyherbivore.com).  I was super excited to see that she was creating yummy recipes that were all using whole foods and NOT using dairy, oil, and other things I did not want to put into my body or into my family.  I immediately purchased her (then) two books "The Happy Herbivore" and "Everyday Happy Herbivore."  When they arrived, my daughter and I started putting little sticky notes on the pages with recipes that we especially wanted to try.  Let's just say my two books were soon looking like porky pines with all the notes sticking out all over! :)  And within trying just a couple of the recipes, I knew that these books were going to be the basis of my cooking every single day!

Then last December Lindsay came out with her new book--"Happy Herbivore Abroad," which I immediately bought.  Merry Christmas to me!  I am not naturally an adventuresome person when it comes to food--I want to eat whatever is plain old "normal" to me.  But this book featuring recipes from around the world (of course tweaked by Lindsay to be healthy!) is convincing me there are a lot of great new flavors out there just waiting to be discovered!

And now--even more exciting--is this December a new "Happy Herbivore" cookbook is coming out!  This one--as the title of this post says, is  "Happy Hervibore Light & Lean."  I have heard that not only is this book filled with great healthy recipes, but that it also has some great workouts to help you on your wellness journey.  Let's just say I pre-ordered my copy from Amazon almost as soon as I first heard about it!  And while the official release date is in December, I have heard rumored that pre-orders may actually be shipped in November. . . no promises, but that is what I have heard--and last year when I pre-ordered "Happy Herbivore Abroad" I did receive it early. . .

When I had a chance to sign up and be part of the pre-release Blog Tour and be able to ask Lindsay several questions about healthy eating, I jumped at the chance.  SO--stay tuned--my interview questions for Lindsay AND a sneak peak of a new recipe from her new book "Happy Herbivore Light & Lean" is coming up on my blog here this weekend!

See you then!

~Susan

P.S.--Are you wondering exactly what "good" changing my eating and using Lindsay's recipes have done for me over the past year???  In the past year I have dropped 25 pounds, all while I was feasting on tons of great tasting, wholesome, healthy food!  I can honestly say I have never EVER been hungry, I eat as much as I want, and I never want to go back to the SAD Standard American Diet again!

Strawberry Shake

Hi Everyone!

Thought I would share with you a very yummy recipe we tried recently for breakfast.  It was delicious--and what surprised me was how it really did keep me full until lunch time.  I didn't expect it to, since it is almost all fruit, but it did.  Of course, I do not have to eat my breakfast super early in the morning, so if you do you might want to try adding in something extra such as some whole wheat toast.  Either way, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.  My daughter loves it so much she has since asked me for it as a dessert at lunch time, and tonight she wanted it for supper!  Guess that means it is good any time!

~Susan

Strawberry Shake
serves 4

4 bananas (frozen--if they are small bananas, change it to 8 bananas)
8 c. strawberries (frozen)
4 c. unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c. quick oats

Add 1 frozen banana (or two small ones), 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 cup almond milk and 2 Tbsp. oats to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Add more strawberries if desired or eat them on the side.  You can also add a few drops of vanilla extract.  Repeat 3 more times for 4 total smoothies.  Enjoy! :)

Busy, busy, busy!

Hi Everyone!

Today was one of those days where you try and catch up on everything, and are busy running around the whole entire day--but when you get to the end of the day your "to do" list hardly looks like you touched it!  Guess that's what I get for going away from home!

Most important things today were to get food made.  Knowing that I was going away, we effectively ate most everything that was in the house--good for not having food spoil in the fridge when you are gone, bad for having something to eat when you get back home!

Tried out some new recipes today--started with breakfast, making a Strawberry Smoothie.  It was absolutely delicious, and super simple.  I only regret that I did not take a picture! :(  But both Alison and I think it is an awesome recipe, so I will make it again SOON and take a picture then to share with you. Lunch time I made  "Easy Enchilada Bake", and also "Mexican Salad."   I had made the "Enchilada Bake" before, but never the "Mexican Salad" and I really liked it.  My menus for this week are focusing on salads, so I also made a "Barley Salad" to eat tomorrow.  Didn't eat a serving of it, but I did lick the spoon and it tasted good.  Maybe I can remember to take a picture of it tomorrow before we eat it for lunch!  Also cooked some quinoa to heat up tomorrow for breakfast.  I plan on topping it with fresh peaches and strawberries, and a tofu whipped cream that I make to substitute in places where you would normally use whipped cream.  It is not as puffy, but is made from real food--not a bunch of chemicals--so I am much happier feeding it to my family!  Normally I am not making new recipes all the time--I am quite the little "recipe rut" kind of person, so every now and then I get inspired to really try a bunch of new ones. . . this is that kind of week!  Maybe not the best planning, as I am also "officially" starting our homeschool year tomorrow as well, but oh well!  Salads did sound rather easy at menu planning time!

Also made four loaves of oatmeal bread, four batches of my home made rice milk, and did three loads of laundry!  It's no wonder I am tired!

Thankfully, not all Sundays are THIS busy for me!  But today it did feel good to get caught up on some things--and at least we have food to eat in the house now!

So--what are all of YOU up to????

Hope you have a great start to your week!

~Susan

Low Fat Vegan French Toast

Hi Everyone!

I have been frequently enjoying this recipe for vegan French Toast.  I make it with my own home made oatmeal bread--and I do not use any oil when I make my bread, so the only fat in the bread is just what occurs naturally in the whole wheat and oatmeal--very very little.  In times past, I never would have believed that you could make scrumptious French Toast without dairy products--but I was wrong, and very happily wrong.  This recipe uses garbanzo bean (chick pea) flour as it's base.  This is not as hard to find as one might think--I have even found it at Walmart's before, under the Bob's Red Mill company name.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!  I have tortured my friends by posting this photo on my Facebook page, and then it took me a loooong time to finally get the recipe up here.  But as they say, better late than never! :)

Vegan French Toast

6 whole wheat bread slices
1 cup plant-based milk (I use my home made rice milk--rice and water, that's it!)
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Cut bread diagonally and set aside.  Heat non-stick griddle or frying pan.  Whisk non-dairy milk with remaining ingredients and pour into a shallow pan (pie plate works great!).  Quickly dip a few bread slices into wet mixture and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, repeating until no more bread is remaining.  Garnish with powdered sugar and fresh fruit slices, or maple syrup, or fruit sauce.

Yum!

~Susan

Low Fat Peach Tofu "Ice Cream"

Hi Everyone!

Thought I would share a little experiment I tried last week.  It all started when I ran across a recipe for low fat strawberry ice cream that you could make at home.  It looked SO good--and was made using one of those "ice-less" ice cream makers, where you just put the tub into the freezer and it has some sort of liquid held within the walls of the bowl part of the maker.  I don't know what it is, but you freeze your canister for 24 hours and then put in your ice cream mixture.  Well, I USED to have one of these very ice cream makers--it was given to me by a friend who had a larger family and she was going to get a larger ice cream maker for her family to use, so she blessed me with her smaller one.  WELL, once I really had to start being stricter with the foods I ate, I had no idea how to make a truly healthy ice cream substitute--and we were moving at the time--so I gave it away.  I do not usually regret anything that I give away--I am always so blessed by finding things in a thrift store myself, that I always look at it as a double blessing--someone else will be blessed by my donation and I am blessed by the increase in space by the item that is no longer in my house.  But THIS has turned out to be one of those RARE items that I did wish I had not given away--sigh!  But oh well!

So I found this yummy looking strawberry ice cream recipe and was REALLY wanting to make it--but as stated above, I had no ice cream maker.  Sniff, sniff!  But all was not lost, as when I received my summer sale catalog for our Aldi's grocery store I saw that they were going to have this exact type of ice cream maker as one of their "Special Buys," those seasonal items that they do not carry year round--AND they were going to sell it for only $15.  That is not THAT much money, and I knew about it in advance, so I marked the date the sale would begin on my calendar so I could be there at the store the first day and buy one.  I had no idea how fast the ice cream makers would sell out, but I knew that I REALLY wanted one so I showed up and happily carried my new purchase home.  I was drooling already!

Now, if you have noticed the title of this post, it is called PEACH ice cream, not strawberry.  Yup.  I was SURE I already had a bag of frozen strawberries out in my freezer, so when I was at the store I didn't buy any.  I KNEW I had all the ingredients already.  Except that when I went to make the ice cream up--I didn't! :(   But not all was lost.  I DID have frozen peaches--quick change to peach ice cream! :)

While I wanted to come right home from Aldi's and make it up, the canister has to freeze for 24 hours first, so I had to be patient at least a little bit.  At least that gave me a chance to read through the instructions and the recipe and get it all planned so I would do it the right way.  The canister freezes for 24 hours as I already mentioned, but the directions of the ice cream maker also say to make up your ice cream mixture and have it chill in the fridge at least four hours.  So this morning I mixed up the mixture, and this afternoon I made the ice cream!  Or perhaps I should call it "tofu-cream?"  Whatever it is called, "I" thought it tasted yummy and so did my daughter--who is my resident "food critic."  If SHE eats it, it's good!

Disclaimer:  I, personally, do not care at all that this does not taste like REAL ice cream, so don't leave comments telling me it doesn't.  I know that.  But it also does not contain any dairy, which is an ingredient I am needing to stay away from, so I only care that it tastes sweet and cold.  If you don't like it, that's fine!

Low Fat Peach "Ice Cream"

1 carton Mori-Nu silken tofu--I use low fat, extra firm
16 oz. frozen peaches, slightly thawed
1 cup low fat soy milk--I used Aldi's store brand
1/4 cup maple syrup

Blend all ingredients until smooth in blender.  Chill in the fridge and then freeze following your ice cream maker's instructions.  For my little ice cream maker, it took around 35 minutes.  Keep in mind that home made ice cream does not usually freeze solid like store bought, but will be more akin to a thick milk shake in consistany.

I can see this Peach Tofu "Ice Cream" happening again soon, at a kitchen near me!  And I really DO want to try it as the strawberry version.  But first--I really need to try a chocolate version.  Stay tuned--I will let you know how it turns out! :)

~Susan

Green Mint Smoothies!

Hi Everyone!

Well, I DID warn you in the title that these smoothies WERE green!  As in VERY green!  Green like grass.  Or in this case, green like spinach leaves!

I have heard different friends of mine raving about green smoothies before, so the concept wasn't new for me.  I have even had one dear soul make me a green smoothie to try at a church function we were both at.  Now I consider myself pretty open about foods, especially if it is a healthy food.  I'm just not all that picky, but I have to say--her green smoothie was yucky!!!!!    Or at least "I" thought so, though I DID really appreciate her making one for me to sample--I thought THAT was very very sweet.  I just didn't like it, and the main reason was not the taste, it was the grittiness.  I cannot even remember all that she put in her smoothie--it WAS all healthy, that's for sure.  I know she had some fruit, and as far as green stuff I do remember celery and kale being in there.  I like celery and I like kale, I really do, but I did NOT like them in this smoothie I tried.  So at that point, I decided that I would just MUCH rather eat my "green" not in my "smoothie," if you know what I mean.

Wellllllllll, that was my firm opinion for a long while, but I have to confess that today my opinion changed.  This past week I saw a recipe for a green smoothie floating around on Facebook, and thought it looked like it MIGHT have some potential.  It didn't have any kale in it, and the green was made up primarily from spinach leaves.  I would have made it right then, except that I didn't have any fresh spinach at the time, a rather important ingredient.

So when I was at the grocery store yesterday purchasing kale (NOT to go in a smoothie!!!) I saw the spinach leaves next to it in the fridge section and remembered that I had wanted to try that recipe.  So both kale and spinach came home with me, and after lunch today I thought I would whiz up that green smoothie for dessert for whoever was brave enough to try it.  :)  Only one problem.  When I got out the recipe, I saw that it also called for 1/4th of an avocado  and  I didn't have any avocados in the house!  Well, that's all right.  I decided to try the recipe anyway, even if I didn't have everything.  After all, avocado, while healthy, is still rather high fat, and I like to keep my cooking as low fat as possible.  I DO eat avocados, but if I am going to eat something high fat I want to really be able to taste it, not have it blended up in something else where I don't even know it's in there. . .

With this reasoning, I decided to be brave and try it.  The original recipe also called for a "handful of spinach leaves."  Well, I guess my "handful" must have been quite a bit larger than their "handful," because the picture that accompanied the original recipe showed a beautiful slightly green colored smoothie.  Mine ended up being a green-crayon-from-the-crayon-box colored smoothie!  But I REALLY liked the flavor, and my daughter did too, so I guess that is what counts, right?

As we were eating it, I commented that it really reminded me of mint chocolate chip ice cream, and as soon as she heard me say THAT my daughter begged for me to put some of my vegan chocolate chips in it!  So I sprinkled just a few on top.  Yum!  Now keep in mind, I did NOT say that it TASTES exactly like mint chocolate chip ice cream.  I said it REMINDED me of it.  So don't leave me a comment and tell me that it is no where near ice cream in flavor.  We ARE talking something healthy with spinach here, after all!  If you want something that tastes exactly like mint chocolate chip ice cream, you better just go buy yourself some mint chocolate chip ice cream.  But I think your body will like this dessert better!

Green Mint Smoothie
Susan's version :)

1/2 c. rice milk
small handful fresh spinach leaves
1/8-1/4 tsp. peppermint flavoring
1/4 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1 Tablespoon agave nector
2 frozen bananas, peeled and broken into chunks

Place ingredients in blender in the order listed.  You want your spinach leaves to be closest to the cutting blades so they will be well blended.  Turn blender on high, and blend until VERY well blended.  You do not want little pieces of spinach leaves to be floating around in there but rather a consistent green color.  Add a tiny bit more rice milk if necessary--I did not do this but did stop the blender several times and mix things around scraping down the sides.

Pour into your cup and enjoy!

Makes one tall glass or two smaller cups.

Nutty Butter

Hi Everyone!

Wanted to share a very simple recipe that is quick and healthy--and has the added advantage of being money-saving as well! This is sort of a peanut butter substitute.  It tastes a LOT like peanut butter, but not exactly like it.  My 19 year old son actually tells me that he thinks it is better than peanut butter.  I like it for four reasons:

1.  It cuts the fat and gives you a MUCH lower fat product that still gives you that peanut butter flavor.  Yes, I know that peanut butter and other natural fats found in things like nuts and avocados are "healthy" fats.  But they are STILL fats.  And if you are not trying to gain weight, it is best to keep even healthy fats to a minimum.

2.  It is cheap.  Peanut butter overall is an expensive product, going higher all the time.  Canned beans overall are an inexpensive product.  Mixing the two together extends the more expensive product with the lesser expensive product.

3.  It significantly increases fiber.  While the peanuts themselves do have some fiber, almost no food has as much fiber as the powerhouse of beans.  In this recipe, you can use any type of canned white bean, but navy beans are the highest fiber-wise.

4.  It tastes GREAT!!!!  :)  

Interested?

Alright!  Here is the very simple recipe:

Nutty Butter

1 can any type white bean, rinsed and drained

3 Tablespoons agave nector

1/2 teaspoon coriander or cinnamon

Blend mixture together VERY well using a food processor.  Spoon into a container and store in fridge.  Use any where you would normally use peanut butter.

That's it!  Simple!

I have used this in celery sticks, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and in cookie dough.  I have NOT used it yet in any type of a savory loaf recipe, but I would--you would just need to leave out the sweetening, because the above recipe makes for a sweet spread.  Sweeter than peanut butter, which I personally like because I like sweet things--but NOT what you would want to put into a veggie loaf recipe!

Hope you enjoy!

~Susan

Quick and Easy Rice Milk

Hi Everyone!

Thought I might share with you how I make very quick, easy, and inexpensive rice milk.  I LOVE this rice milk, primarily because it IS quick, easy, and inexpensive!  Of course, then there is the added benefit of knowing I am not feeding my family unhealthy additives.  And my recipe is SO easy to remember, since it only has two items.  #1. Brown Rice, #2. Water.  There--I told you it was easy! 

First you need to cook your rice. I usually make a double batch when I make this up, since we use it every single day on our cereal for breakfast.  But for a regular batch, you will bring 1 cup water to boil, then add 1/3 cup brown rice.  Turn down to a simmer, and let cook for 40 minutes.  If you want to end up with a larger amount of milk, just double the amounts.

When your rice is cooked, place it in your blender.  You will now need 4 cups of warm water.  I just stick mine in the microwave for a couple minutes.  Make SURE your rice and water are both warm when you are making this.  If you cannot make it up while the rice is still warm from cooking, warm your rice up before you do blend it when you come back to it later.

Anyway, place your rice in your blender, and add half of your 4 cups of warm water.  Blend on high for three minutes.  Then add in the remaining 2 cups of water, and blend briefly just to mix it in.

 Next you need to strain your milk.  I have a mesh strainer that fits in the top of my pitcher.  Works great--I just start slowly pouring the milk through the strainer.  After a while I do need to start stirring so it will all strain through.

 You will be left with just a tiny smidgen of chopped up brown rice that is too large to go through the strainer.  When all gathered up, it fits on my stirring spoon, so I throw this into my compost bag without guilt.  If you want to use it up in a casserole or something you are making, go ahead.  This picture above shows from a single batch of rice milk.  Basically, it makes four cups plus a little over.

This picture shows what I have from a double batch of the recipe.  At this point, you are almost done but not quite.  Let the milk sit for 30 minutes.  During this time, heavier rice particles will pool on the bottom of your pitcher.  After it sits for 30 minutes, I simply pour off the top milk slowly into another pitcher, leaving around the bottom inch which is thick and sludgy and I throw it away.  No, I don't feel guilty.  If I am needing rice milk for a recipe I am making, I will use it.  But if I only want milk at that time for cereal, it's too thick for cereal use.  If you want to sweeten your milk with something--sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar--now is the time.  I have tried this, and honestly, my family pretty much cannot tell the difference if I have sweetened the milk or not.  So why bother?  You can also add vanilla flavor if you want to.  Again, I tried it, but my kids use the milk and never even notice if it has vanilla flavor in it or not.

So that's it--just chill in the fridge and use.  I will say, in my opinion this milk is best for cooking or using over cereals.  I do not personally just drink it straight as a drink. If I want that, I will make up a batch of home made soy milk which is much richer tasting (soy beans have quite a high natural amount of fat in them).  But for our every day use, this rice milk is my favorite.  Hope you like it too!

~Susan

God's Medicine Cabnet

Hi Everyone!

Found this funny being passed around on Facebook, and the thought struck me that there is SO much truth to this.  I mean, if we would only eat foods the way God grew them for us to eat, much of our health problems would disappear.  Not all, of course--we still live in a world of sin.  But we do so much to ourselves by our poor choices.  Kind of like pouring soda pop into your car gas tank and expecting it to operate great.  Really, it is a miracle that our bodies work as well as they do, considering what fake foods we give them much of the time--and then ask them to preform well.

Anyway, just something I am thinking about today.  God's healing foods--corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, grains, nuts, fruits, etc.

Hope you are enjoying some of God's wonderful foods today!

~Susan

I am a Happy Herbivore!--Part 2

Hi Everyone!

See my "Happy Herbivore" smile?  I told you I was thrilled to receive this book!  Not only is it filled with tasty recipes, but even better--it is helping me to improve both my own health as well as the health of my family.  I consider THAT a very good investment!!!  My "don't-change-my-food" husband is 100% behind me as well.  It didn't take very many of Lindsay's recipes to convince him that eating whole food is not only tasty but helps you feel better too.

So, as promised, here is the interview with Lindsay that I promised!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Susan:  Lindsay, can you tell me how you became interested in healthy

eating?  You must have grown up eating a whole plant food diet, right?

Lindsay:  To my mom's credit, she did cook nearly every night (fast food and eating out was uncommon), but it wasn't whole foods or plant-based. Like most Americans, our family dinner revolved around a lot of meat, with one or two vegetable sides, covered in butter and maybe white pasta or white rice, also covered in butter. Since I grew up mostly a vegetarian out of a love for animals, I pretty much just ate the sides. 

I lapsed back to meat-eating in my late teens due to family pressure and peer pressure. A serious health scare in my early 20's brought me back to a vegetarian diet and about a year later I adopted a totally plant-based (vegan) diet. I was motivated mainly for health reasons, but I also care about the environment and am moved by the plight of farm animals.

In January this year, my parents joined me. My husband is also plant-based, and so is my sister. It's wonderful to see the whole family eating plants!

Susan:  Your recipes are based on the "L.E.A.F." plan--can you explain
exactly what that is?

Lindsay:  Low fat, Easy, Affordable, Fast recipes. I don't think eating well has to be expensive or complicated. I think it's realistic for everyone and that's what I try to show with my recipes. I use normal "everyday" ingredients. My recipes come together in 5-30 minutes. It's all about making healthy practical. I also advocate a low fat, no oil plant-based diet.

Susan:  What about olive oil?  Isn't that supposed to be good for you?
And what about nuts?  They are "whole food," yet high in fat.  Are
they still good  to eat?

Lindsay:  It's all clever marketing. Oil is so unhealthy. If you believe there is some magical property in olive oil, then it's also in the olive. Eat the olive.

For more information about oil: 

http://www.heartattackproof.com/qanda.htm

http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/aug/oils.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbALgjmZUek

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150105602191819&id=177550385124

http://engine2diet.com/the-daily-beet/the-big-oil-post-plus-a-giveaway/

Susan:  What about coconut oil?

 Lindsay:  http://www.cspinet.org/nah/articles/coconut-oil.html

and http://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Newsletter/Entries/2008/4/10_Marketing_Junk_Food__Dont_Go_Cuckoo_Over_Coconut_Oil.html

 As for nuts/seeds/avocado, if you have heart disease or are trying to lose weight, you should not eat nuts, avocado or any added fats -- even whole, unprocessed added fats. "The fat you eat is the fat you wear." - Dr. McDougall. If you don't have heart disease, are active and do not need to lose weight, a few nuts or seeds on occasion is fine.

Many of the oil links above also discuss nuts.

Susan:  Do you have any recommendations for someone wanting to change
their diet--is it better to change "cold-turkey," or to gradually
replace unhealthy foods with healthier versions?

Lindsay:  I've counseled hundreds of people making a switch and those who go "cold tofu" have the best experience by far.

Susan:  What if you are the only one in your family who is interested in
healthy eating?  Any recommendations on how a person can be successful
in that situation?

Do what's right by you and lead by example. I was the first in my family and now everyone is plant-based, even the dogs :)

Also, try the individual meal plan: http://getmealplans.com

Susan:  What about a person who wants to eat healthy--but has a HUGE sweet
tooth?  Is there any hope for them?  How can they overcome their sweet
tooth--or do they need to?

Lindsay:  You can have sweets on a plant-based diet -- but sugar is addicting so for some people, they have to totally go off it for a few weeks to break the addiction. Some people are so addicted they can never return to sugar. I found I wanted sweets a lot less when I cleaned up my diet. I eat fruit and that satisfies. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoyed that interview!  Next week--I promise!--the sample recipe for Blueberry Bundt Cake from Lindsay's new cook book, "Happy Herbivore Abroad." Or, if you just can't wait--go order yourself a copy from Amazon!  And if you use the link below when you order, you will be helping raise money for children's Hemiplegia & Stroke Association, a non-profit organization that helps fund foot braces for disabled children who need the braces to walk and their families need assistance to afford--all at no additional cost to you whatsoever!  How cool is that?  A win-win for sure!

http://www.chasa.org/you-can-help/amazon-fundraiser/ 

~Susan