I recognize how lucky I am to have my family in Atlanta. Every holiday is an opportunity to gather with them and eat my favorite dishes like dressing (not stuffing), deep fried turkey, collard greens, etc. But if you aren’t as fortunate as i am to have a large family full of good cooks, you and your loved ones can dine out! That’s right! Can’t cook? You can still have a Thanksgiving feast!
I know so many people who say things like “I don’t eat salad”, “that’s rabbit food”, and “it just doesn’t fill me up/taste good”. But I think these are people who subscribe to the theory that salads can only be made with one type of green. Check out this video detailing some other options. So next time you’re in a restaurant, you’ll know what they are talking about on the salad menu.
Click below to find out the most healthy greens to use! Read the rest of this entry »
As you know by now, I’ve gotten very into visiting local farmers’ markets. Not just the large establishments, but the pop-ups all over the city. I have yet to determine a favorite, but I’ll let you know as soon as I recognize it.
Anyway, if you, like many of my friends and family members, have never visited a farmers’ market, I highly recommend it. You’ll find locally grown, organic vegetables. There may not be much variety, but you’ll probably find things that aren’t available at your local grocer. And you’ll be keeping local farms in business.
I’ve posted a list of pop-up farmers’ markets in the Atlanta area. Have fun. And here are “5 Tips for Your First Trip to the Farmers Market” courtesy of Georgia Organics.
(1) Get there early.
Check the farmers’ market website to see what time the market opens. Good farmers have very devoted fans, and may sell out of food.
I hadn’t heard of The OMG Diet until I saw this clip from Bethenny Frankel‘s new talk show. It doesn’t air where I live, but I’ve enjoyed all the clips that I’ve seen. Bethenny has become something of a healthy living resource. She graduated from The Natural Gourmet Institute and has published several diet and exercise books. Here is her opinion on the book (see below for mine).
I’m not an expert, but I do think a lot about what I eat. I’m related to Nutritionist who keeps the family on their toes. And I intend post a lot more about healthy eating on this site.
The book is called “Six Weeks to OMG”. See below for the book overview listed on BN.com… If this diet appeals to you, I hope you’ll consult a Medical Doctor AS WELL AS a Registered Dietitian. Good luck. Read the rest of this entry »
"A must see!" --DineWithDani
When it came out, I was told that it was a gruesome depiction of the food industry intended to insight fear in consumers– so I never went to see it or rent it. Recently a friend announced that she was off meat after seeing a documentary on how meat is processed, so I had to know more.
After seeing Food, Inc. for myself (only seconds ago), I HIGHLY recommend it. Your threshold for blood and guts may be much lower than mine. And with that said, I want to warn you that there are some images of animal slaughter. But, to be honest, I understand that animals have to die for me to eat them, so… It was actually the statistics on corn by-products, protein-feed, dark houses, ammonia cleansing, antibiotics, pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that made me nervous.
I’ve been doing my best to buy local and organic produce for a long time, but I never considered how meat made it to my table. Here and now I pledge to seek out, support and promote small, local, cage-free, organic, grass-fed farms and dairies. Thank you Robert Kenner and Eric Schlosser for shedding some light.
The final sequence of the film really hit home: It is so much cheaper to eat unhealthy foods; a fast food hamburger is cheaper than a head of broccoli. But we don’t have to settle for what is given to us. We can decide! You vote for what is provided in stores every time the cashier scans the items in your basket. If we buy better foods, the retailers will stock more of it. And the more they stock the cheaper it becomes. It’s a cycle that we as consumers control without knowing!
Below is the trailer. The full-length documentary is available online at Netflix, iTunes (rent $4.99) and Amazon (instant video $2.99). Check it out.
Oct 14
The season for great tomatoes is almost gone. I bought a batch recently so that I can make and freeze my own homemade tomato sauce. But I came across this recipe. She used canned tomatoes, but I’m using fresh. Should be good.
courtesy of LiveStrong.com
Last week my mother came home very excited about frying fish. Naturally I was confused. She kept saying, “wait until you taste this fish.” I assumed it was some special exotic fish she’d picked up a a fishmongers. But it turns out she wasn’t as excited about the bass. She was excited about this flavorless, healthy cooking oil. I shook my head and went back to researching restaurants for Father’s Day.
Shortly thereafter, she brought over a small piece of lightly breaded, fried fish. It was delicious. “It’s safflower oil. See how it doesn’t smell or taste fishy? And the color is perfect too. My friend says its what the stars use. I knew you’d like that!” Again, I shook my head and went back to enjoying the fish.
safflower bloom
It got me thinking though. Safflower Oil? What does safflower look like? Where does it grow? And if it’s so awesome, why haven’t we heard more about it? So I started doing a bit of research. LiveStrong.com had MANY postings about the benefits. It turns out that safflower oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil and less saturated fat. Not to mention that it’s virtually flavorless.
I try to limited fried foods in my diet (at least in home cooked meals). But upon greater detail, I may switch completely from canola oil and olive oil to this fabulous safflower oil. Let me know what you find. Which oil do you prefer?
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