No-Guilt Ricotta Arugula Pizza with Crumbled Blue Cheese

blog by: kim

We love pizza, but it’s obviously not the healthiest choice. Whatever bad foods we love, there is usually a healthier alternative. So make pizza your own way. Whoever thought of putting lettuce on pizza deserves a gold star. Not just any lettuce; I'm talking arugula. It's that spicy leafy lettuce that is often found in spring mixes but makes any pizza much better. Add some sweet apple slices or dried fruits with crumbled blue cheese and this tastes sensational. Does this look like food deprivation? I think not...

This easy recipe has wheat crust and lower fat cheese to cut calories, and the more veggies you pile on, the more disease-fighting anti-oxidants you get!

No-Guilt Ricotta Arugula Pizza with Crumbled Blue Cheese

(makes 2 thin-crust pizzas)

2 whole wheat tortillas- Try the Food for Life Organic Ezekiel sprouted grain 9” tortilla (you can also buy a raw/uncooked whole wheat pizza dough and grill it outside if you are feeling daring!) By now you know the all-white bleached flour dough has zero nutritional value and adds unwanted fat.

Choose the veggies or fruits you like. Hey, it’s your pizza. Be creative.

Below are some suggestions:

1/4 red onion, sliced thin

zucchini, sliced thin

red pepper, sliced thin

shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil

¼ cup sliced apples

a handful of raisons or dried cranberries

1 oz grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese

1 cup spring mix greens with arugula- you can buy them in bags at the store

salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil to taste

Optional: a wee handful of blue cheese to sprinkle on top

Drizzle a little olive oil on the top and bottom of each tortilla. 

Place on a cookie sheet or baking stone. Drop 1 tsp. size amounts of ricotta cheese around the pizza. Layer on arugula mix, onions, zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms and  fruits. Sprinkle on parmesan cheese, sprinkle more arugula over the top if you want, add salt and pepper to taste, blue cheese crumbles and drizzle about 1 tsp of olive oil on top as needed. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until edges of tortilla begin to brown. (For those of you not using the grill for these)

How your No-Guilt Pizza creation looks will depend on the ingredients you choose to top it off with. Pour a glass of red vino and enjoy. Under 200 calories a slice.

Some recipes call for the greens to be added before baking, others suggest after. It is up to you, how you prefer it. Less baking= more nutrients & enzymes in your greens.


Check out Tracy's blog. She's the California girl on a quest to fall in love with Florida.
http://www.myothercitybythebay.com/2011/07/06/crave-tampa-bay/


Love, kim

~ 0 ~

"I’ll have a double cappuccino, half-caf, non-fat milk, with enough foam to be aesthetically pleasing, but not so much that it would leave a moustache"
~ Niles Crane, Frasier

It's Raw. It's Naked.

blog by: kim


Forgive me, for it has been a long time since I blogged. I ditch my personal blog at times for writing gigs that actually pay (hell, I didn't say pay much). But I like writing occasionally what I want, in the tone I want without a care about typos, formatting, editors or listing my sources.

I seem to be the type of girl that likes to have her hands in a few things. It's just who I am. It's not a bad thing~ so spare me the raised eyebrows. I have always been a self-confessed "foodie" and equally fascinated with all things healthy, especially as the years go by and I am more aware of what abusing our bodies can actually do to us. I watch in horror at what years of heavy drinking/smoking and eating has done to some people I know.

Raw, Creamy Banana Coconut Ice Cream

Nope, you won't catch me shaking my finger at you or playing the food police. Even I fall victim to a delicious dessert, an occasional plate of nachos or fresh, warm bread. When I stumbled across the trendy raw food scene, I was enamored. I was in love.

I dove into books & websites like www.rawfusionliving.com by Dr. Rose, Ph.d and read Raw Food/Real World by Sarma Melngailis ~ owner of Pure Foods & Wine in New York City. Note to self: must make it there to try the gourmet raw foods and see my friends who live there, but i digress. I also have Eating in the Raw by Carol Alt and a few more.

Before I dazzle you with the fact that celebs like Sting, Demi Moore and Donna Karan live by this way of eating; there is a very real reason it does a body good. Still with me? Why does raw food effect the body in the amazing way it does? ENZYMES. Enzymes are the spark of life. Most of us could care less about any of this and give zero thought to the crap we put in our bodies. Healthy enzymes that we need are basically killed off when food is heated. 

I am not talking about eating raw meat. I am primarily speaking of fresh, organic vegetables, fruits and nuts. When foods are heated above 116 degrees, their vitamins and enzymes become denatured and  inactive. When you cook food, you loose those vitamins. Think of it this way: fevers above 107 degrees are generally deadly because at that point our enzymes self destruct. Scientists have known for years that when you cook food, you loose vitamins and minerals and destroy enzymes. Raw Fusion explains this.

I don't believe in any extreme lifestyles or fad diets. I think even if you increase your raw veggies, nuts and fruits by 40% to 50% (my words) you will feel better, more vital, have less PMS, less sick days, drop weight, feel less moody, have more energy and a higher libido.

Get The Glow

This is a topic that has been greatly covered and many books have been written on it. I don't even begin to scratch the surface, nor am I am expert. I am like everyone else trying to find my way. I am learning too. I don't think I can be 100% raw, I love my breads too much. However, I equally adore fresh veggies and the feeling I get from eating this way, so I will happily drink a fresh, green smoothie loaded with kale, swiss chard, berries, bananas and apples. Mmm! I love going to Dr. Rose's Raw Foods classes because she feeds everyone all sorts of delish dishes and entertains us while educating us. Who doesn't need to be more empowered?

I will say- excessive drinking, smoking, chronic stress, a bad diet and sleepless nights will lead you to an early grave...and you'll probably feel like garbage in the years leading up to it. Many people have picked up the raw foods eating idea after suffering from serious health issues. That's not the case with me, so I can't speculate; but I read that eating this way clears up things from high blood pressure to diabetes to IBS to bad skin conditions, allergies, headaches, heartburn and  pre-cancerous conditions.

Go Raw. Live Long

So why do so few people eat raw or even have a clue what it's about? Because we are creatures of habit and we play "follow the leader". It's human nature. It takes time to undo deeply rooted habits, right or wrong. There's been a boom in health and wellness in recent years, as we have become a more educated generation. If you have always done something one way, why question it? Traditionally, some societies eat more raw foods than others. Not as much here in America, but it's changing. With concerns about increasing disease and obesity, people are becoming more aware. Right Sarma?

I have heard "eating raw makes my stomach hurt" This is temporary because your body simply isn't used to eating that way yet. I love the great recipes you can make raw. 
I added photos of some of the foods to this blog.

For the yummy recipes, refer to Raw Fusion recipes. www.rawfusionliving.com  Healthy alternatives to your favorite comfort foods. It's actually not as daunting as it all sounds. I don't "do" daunting anyway.

I'm respectful to the ways people choose to eat, this is not a fad diet~ just a return to eating simpler, less processed, less cooked and healthier foods.

Bon Appetit

My 15 Clues into the Mind of a Woman on Suite 101

by: Kim

My newest article on Suite 101: 

http://www.suite101.com/content/15-clues-into-the-mind-of-a-woman-a368629

You Can't Go Home Again ~ Or Can You?

blog by: Kim

I packed up my 5 year old daughter and left Michigan five years ago. There we were, our little car stuffed full of memories and boxes. Florida bound. She'd stare at me from the back seat, her big brown eyes wondering where our new adventure would lead us. I'd smile and reassure her that this was a great new beginning. And you know what? It was. Florida has been wonderful, but this blog is about going home again to Michigan recently.

I went back five years later, to see the people I love and missed the most. The ones who were there when I was a struggling single mom and even the years long before that. Oh yes, I remember you. I missed a wedding, a funeral and a graduation in these last five years that I have been gone. I made sure to tell the important people that I loved them. I drove by myself past our old apartment, past our house on Seminole St,  past Emily's very first school. Sometimes it would make me smile. A few times the memories made me cry. There were great times and equally hard ones.

The trip was wonderful and cathartic. I came away more at peace and happier than before. It's good to get back to your roots and where you came from, even if it's once every five years. Driving down the old, familiar streets as I had so done many times before, over and over. But this time I had a slightly different perspective and appreciation. I wasn't in a frantic rush to get to work, or drop my baby off at daycare. This time, I was on a journey where I was able to relax and enjoy. What a concept.

 8 Mile. Because that's how we roll.

 the Michigan 'burbs

 An old cemetery in Novi, MI on a cold March day.

 A pretty Michigan lake, end of winter and all is still quiet.

Me and Emily's tiny old apartment. We spend many days and nights here together.

Just me, freezing because I forgot how to deal with the cold. I cannot feel my toes.

 My beautiful long lost cousins (on dad's side)

We took over Olga's restaurant!

Sanders famous Michigan Chocolates. Yes, of course I bought some. Ate half in the store while standing at this counter. So?

 Old building in Howell, MI

Me and Sherry and Sophie's favorite store in Livonia, MI

Scenery

Sophie and her new husband Steve, I hadn't met him until this night. Very cool guy- they are expecting their fist baby soon! Ah, the life stages we experience.

Robb and I acting goofy at 12 Oaks mall

...more of the 'burbs

 Robb & Hank telling me to put the camera down. I don't listen. Be quiet.

Robb and me. I don't remember laughing so hard. Same goofy asses we were 15 years ago.

 Sherry's dog Maggie, I swear she can talk!

 ...good 'ol chateau le Seminole

 Me and Sherry (these drinks were far too strong for me)

End of the journey: day 5

 I thank my husband for allowing me the 5 days I need to go on this "journey" and for holding down the fort. I know I'm a strong-willed girl and it's not easy to let me go off to revisit another life.  It was fun and I look forward to a trip with you next time Bob - somewhere warm and sunny perhaps?

Luck o' the Irish Table

blog by: Alisa

On St. Patrick’s Day, many a home will be filled the fragrances of traditional Irish fare. Probably the first dish that comes to people’s minds is corned beef with cabbage. I readily admit, it’s the first thing my mind drifts to as well. It’s one of my favorite meals. Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t care much for corned beef, my son doesn’t care for cabbage, and my daughter won’t even consider allowing her fork to touch any of it. What’s a wanna-be Irish girl to do? Tell them to suck it up and eat it anyway; it’s St. Patrick’s Day, and by God, I am having this meal at least once a year.

The most common method of preparing this meal is to boil everything together: first the beef, then the carrots and potatoes, and last goes the cabbage.  That’s the way it was cooked when I was growing up, and we had it much more frequently than once a year. Then one day I was dining out and ordered a plate of oven-roasted corned beef with roasted potatoes and carrots. That’s when I realized the boiling method is a lot like boiling a steak with a baked potato and broccoli; something that should be avoided as often as possible.  If you find yourself in a house where the oven doesn’t work and the only thing in the fridge is a corned beef brisket, well, by all means, boil away. Corned beef soup is better than nothing. However, if you are looking for a sublime corned beef experience, go with a tried and true roasting method. You will not be sorry you did.

Slow Roasted Corned Beef and Cabbage

3 1/2 to 4  lb corned beef brisket

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 (12 fluid ounce) bottle Irish beer or ale (e.g. Guinness or Smithwick’s)

1 onion, sliced into thin rings

1 head of cabbage, cut into 1/6 wedges

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into thirds

2 lbs baby red potatoes, scrubbed clean OR regular red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

I, personally, have a preference here for Smithwick’s ale over a Guinness stout, but I also prefer lighter, smoother beers and ales. Go with your preference.    

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Rinse the beef completely and pat dry. Rub the brown sugar on the meat to coat entire beef, including the bottom.

2. Place the brisket, fat side up, on top of the sliced onion in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. If desired, sprinkle the accompanying package of seasonings around the brisket. Pour the bottle of stout or ale around the beef.

3. Cover, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 2 hours.  Remove cover, add vegetables around the meat, add a little more ale if needed, and replace cover. Return to oven and bake for 1 more hour. Test the tenderness of the brisket. If it doesn’t seem quite tender enough, let it cook for another 30 minutes. (If your vegetables are done, be sure to remove them before going the extra 30 minutes. Mushy vegetables BAD.)

Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing against the grain into ½” thick slices. Place sliced brisket on a large platter and arrange vegetables around the beef. Serve with grainy Dijon mustard, a horseradish sauce, or just as it is.

The interesting thing to note is that corned beef is not exactly a traditional Irish dish. Yes, it was popularized there, but beef used to be only a wealthy man’s meal. The hardworking backbone of Ireland came home to dishes made with lamb and more affordable cuts of pork, such as ham and pork belly. With that in mind, you should know that colcannon is a more traditional Irish meal than corned beef with cabbage. It’s also easily just as tasty when properly prepared. Colcannon doesn’t always have to include the pork, but being the omnivore that I am, I like the meatier version. Bacon is often used in place of ham, but if I had my way, the Southern girl in me would prepare this dish with a salty country ham every time. Country ham is absolutely divine. Unfortunately, that divinity seems exclusive to the South. The few times that I’ve had it since moving West have been when I ordered it from an Internet site and had it shipped to me. 

*Alisa suddenly gets swept up into vivid daydream of a Southern breakfast of grits, country ham, and a side of redeye gravy*

~DO NOT DISTURB~

Oh, sorry.  *shakes reverie out of head* I was supposed to be telling you about colcannon. It’s a delectable Irish dish made of cooked cabbage, mashed potatoes, and ham. And it’s a much more traditionally Irish meal than corned beef and cabbage. Leave out the pork, and you have a vegetarian taste of Irish tradition.

Colcannon

3 lbs red potatoes, peeled and diced for boiling

1 lb cabbage, finely shredded, chopped, and cooked

4 oz butter

1 cup milk

3 tbsp heavy cream

8 scallions, chopped

½ lb cooked bacon, crumbled, or cooked & diced ham

Peel and boil the potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, then mash until they are smooth. Stir scallions into the milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Immediately add the milk and scallions to the potatoes and blend together with a fork. Add in the chopped cabbage, heavy cream and half of the butter then stir through until smooth.

Serve colcannon in individual bowls. Make a well in the center of each serving and top with butter.

Click to try this recipe from allrecipes for a nice loaf of Irish Soda Bread.

Round out your St. Patty’s Day with a loaf of soda bread and a cold Irish ale, and you will understand why the Irish feel so lucky!

'Sláinte!'  

(pronounced 'slawn-cha'), meaning Health! A common toast in Ireland, the equivalent to ‘Cheers.'

Green Paw Prints

blog by: Kim

Tips for Greening Your Pet & Saving the Homeless Ones

Who doesn’t love the sound of four paws running across the room with manic fervor? We love our pets. According to Psychology Today, pets have become such important parts of our families that traditional pet names like Fluffy and Fido have, in recent years, given way to adorable human names such as Max and Lily. Some people are cat people, some are dog people-but regardless of which camp they fall into, most people are simply crazy about their pets. They love us unconditionally. It’s easy to see why we love them so. It seemed a natural fit to take a green spin on responsible pet ownership and reducing your carbon paw print.

First off, we want to feed them the best food we can. If you can afford to, choose organic pet food that is free of BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, harmful chemicals found in some mainstream pet foods. Try Karma Naturals. If you’d like to price shop, hit your local pet supply store and skim the food shelves to compare different organic brands and prices that work with easily your wallet.

I don’t know about you, but I love a good bakery that specializes in natural, baked animal treats. Naturally made treats contain less fillers and chemical additives. I love Three Dog Bakery: http://www.threedog.com/

Another tip: Scoop the poop please. Rain water carries pet waste and other pollutants directly into waterways.  Animal waste can sometimes contain harmful organisms like Giardia, Salmonella and E. coli. Worms can be transmitted to humans and other animals by ingesting contaminated water. That doesn’t sound good in the least. Extra points if you reduce your pet's carbon poo-print with Biodegradable Business Bags made from real corn. They biodegrade completely in 45 days and become fertilizer. How cool is that? Available at: http://www.muttropolis.com/

For cat owners, why not go au-natural? When selecting safe, healthy, and environmentally friendly kitty litter, look for plant based litters made from natural sources like wheat, wood, and newspaper. Not only does clay based litter come from strip mining, but when your cat, dog, and other furry friends ingest clay litter, they can suffer from asthma or other lung problems. Clumping litter leaves a huge carbon footprint. The main culprit is sodium bentonite, a natural clay ingredient that expands into a hard mass when it comes into contact with moisture. Kitty can also ingest the clay while cleaning her paws and some even develop sores on her pads from it. Bad kitty litter, bad!

Upcycle Chic: Recycle and Repurpose your old dog or cat beds. Donate them to your local animal shelter. Or, simply fill a duvet with old clothes or bedding that you might have laying around the house and create a sharp looking new bed for your pet. Donate toys that they no longer play with because there are plenty of homeless animals in shelters that would love a toy from you.

On a more serious note, please remember that animal shelters all across the USA are overrun with too many animals due to overpopulation. There are so many feral cats having endless litters of kittens or home dog breeders allowing dogs to mate multiple times in hopes of selling the puppies- referred to as surplus births. Many of these poor animals are impulse purchased as cute babies, but later abandoned, neglected and eventually euthanized. Getting your pet spayed or neutered is the most effective defense against overpopulation. By doing that, it places fewer and fewer offspring in kill-shelters. Before you buy a puppy from a pet store or an inhumane puppy mill, look at your local shelter for an adult dog that needs a good home.

Don’t rule out an elderly dog or cat either. They are the most overlooked and they make amazing pets for someone who’s looking for a mellow friend to share their days with. Americans love their pets. We spend over $3 billion yearly caring for and spoiling them. Yet according to the Humane Society of the United States, millions of pets are euthanized in America’s shelters every year!

Reading about it is one thing- but advocating for the animals is even better. Donate a little of your time or used pet products to a shelter. Drop off a blanket or a bag of food. Donate even a few dollars to them if you can spare it. Most of these organizations are volunteer based and rely solely on donations from individuals or businesses to support their work to provide compassionate care, medical treatment and adoption services to a never ending influx of animals in need.

Over $2 billion is spent annually by local governments to shelter and ultimately kill 8-10 million adoptable dogs and cats due of shortage of homes. Source: Business Wire Features

Less than 3% of dog guardians are responsible for surplus births.

Source: Save Our Strays

An estimated 6 to 8 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year. Millions more are abandoned, only to suffer from illness or injury before dying. Source: Doris Day Animal League

Educating ourselves and our children is one of the best ways to prevent neglect, abuse and pet overpopulation. And even small steps at reducing our carbon paw prints make a difference in the long-run. Woof.

"Animals are such agreeable friends, they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms."  ~George Eliot