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- Marinated Veggies - a must try!
- Date: 5/14/2012 7:41:44 AM
- Do you ever get sick of having the same salad over and over?!! Well I do. So I thought I would try something a little different...and I am SO glad that I did!
  
  Here is a recipe for some delicious marinated veggies. I can't believe it took me THIS LONG to try making these. I absolutely loved them and my kids were glad to see something other than our typical green salad with dinner. This recipe makes a huge batch but the nice thing is that since there is no lettuce (or cucumbers) in the recipe, nothing gets soggy. I was still enjoying these on Day 4 (the red peppers were starting to get just a little soft). Keep in mind that this makes a very large batch and can easily be cut into half.
  
  1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
  
  3 cups of broccoli florets
  
  1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
  
  1 head of kale, stem removed, roughly chopped
  
  2 cups of asparagus, steamed and then cooled
  
  1 large carrot, shredded
  
  2 TBS Rice Vinegar
  
  2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
  
  3 TBS Balsamic Vinegar *
  
  1/4 cup water
  
  3 TBS olive oil
  
  1/2 tsp sea salt
  
  1 TBS maple syrup
  
  juice from 1 lemon
  
  1 TBS Braggs Organic 24 Herbs and Spices, optional
  
  2 TBS fresh basil, finely chopped, optional
  
  1 TBS fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (just use whatever spices you have or like)
  
  Simply combine all of the ingredients into a large salad bowl and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving. If you have a chance, stir the vegetables a few times to ensure the marinate is well incorporated.
  
  *I kind of have an obsession with different vinegars. Play around with what you have on hand. The balsamic I used in this recipe was a chocolate infused balsamic and it was divine!
  
  I also had leftovers topped with warm quinoa and fresh bruschetta.....it was SOOO yummy!

- Dr. Joel Fuhrman on Dr. Oz
- Date: 5/12/2012 10:05:18 AM
- Dr. Joel Fuhrman will be appearing on The Dr. Oz Show sometime this month!
  
  The taping is being held on Friday, May 18th- so plan to keep an eye out for when the show will be broadcast. We will for sure let you know.
  
  Dr. Joel Fuhrman wrote my favorite HEALTH book for children called: DISEASE PROOF YOUR CHILD.
  
  This book single handedly changed the way I feed my children for the BETTER. It is a book that we Whole Food Mommies recommend to every mother out there wanting to feed their children the best. We recommend it to Mother's who are just starting to dive into the world of plant-based nutrition as well as Mother's who have eaten this way for years. It is an incredible reference to the WHY and the HOW of children's nutrition.
  
  We also recommend Joel's other books:
  
  EAT TO LIVE
  
  FASTING & EATING FOR LIFE
  
  and his newest book: SUPER IMMUNITY
  
  Make sure to watch Joel on the Dr. Oz show! He will be talking about women and weight-loss with many success stories.
  
  Much love!
  
  Whole Food Mommies
  
  LIFE IS GOOD!

- Recipe Highlight
- Date: 5/9/2012 9:50:14 PM
- I know this isn't a new recipe to our website...but it is one that deserves to be highlighted.
  
  It is our FALAFEL recipe created by Maintenance Mommy. She created this recipe after going to New York and having an amazing sample of what falafel should really taste like. Falafel is a middle eastern dish made from ground chickpeas (also known as garbonzo beans). I used to think it was time consuming to make...but it is actually a very quick recipe. You do have to soak the beans overnight, but other than that- I made these in 20 minutes. I actually forgot to soak them...so I put them in water early in the morning and was able to make a wonderful batch 6 hours later. You have to try this recipe...it is SO good!
  
  Falafel
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas (also known as garbonzo beans)
  
  -Soak these overnight, rinse and drain, then pat dry before using.
  
  3 cloves of garlic
  
  1/2 cup cilantro, chopped really small
  
  1/2 cup parsley, chopped really small
  
  4 green onions, chopped
  
  2 TBS lemon juice (fresh is always better if possible)
  
  1 tsp cumin
  
  1 tsp salt
  
  1/2 tsp tumeric
  
  1/2 tsp cayenne
  
  1/2 tsp baking soda
  
  1/3 cup of flour
  
  Directions
  
  *Make sure to plan ahead and soak the garbonzo beans in 3 1/2 cups water overnight (or at least 6 hours). Place all the ingredients (except the beans, baking soda and flour) into a bowl and mix it all together. I let this sit on my counter for 20 minutes to combine all of the flavors- but this is optional. Place the soaked beans into your food processor and grind them up until they are fairly fine. Then add the bowl of mixed ingredients into the food processor and mix thoroughly. Once everything is mixed, then add the baking soda and flour. This will allow the mixture to somewhat stay together as you press them into 1 1/2 inch round patties. You could also chill the mixture for 30 minutes to help them form better. This recipe makes approx. 15 patties.
  
  To cook the patties- heat 3 TBS of oil in a frying pan until hot. Place the patties in the oil and fry on each side for a couple of minutes, until the patty is browned and cooked throughout.
  
  Not the best picture...but you get the idea :)
  
  These falafel patties are SO YUMMY! In your fridge they last over a week and my family has loved having them for meals and snacks.
  
  Here are some ideas you could use them for:
  
  Maintenance Mommies INCREDIBLE wrap recipe
  
  This is where this recipe was created
  
  Falafel Sandwiches- my kids love this!
  
  Sandwich ideas: Bread, warmed falafel, PICKLES (a MUST HAVE ingredient), hummus, tomato, cucumber and avocado.
  
  Eat them plain- warmed in the microwave.
  
  My daughter loved these for an afternoon snack, dipped in creamy tomatillo dressing along with some vegetables and hummus
  
  Give this recipe a try...you won't regret it!
  
  LIFE IS GOOD!

- Eating in New York City!!!
- Date: 5/7/2012 9:28:47 PM
- A few weeks ago I had the chance to go to NYC with Veteran Mommy. Our husbands had to go for work and we got to tag along!
  
  It was a quick trip, so I wanted to make the most of my culinary adventure. I absolutely love to travel, and I especially love experiencing the food culture of each city (most cities have something unique to offer). One of my favorite things to do is to go to small grocery stores and markets and just browse (especially when we are overseas - do you know in many European cities, the eggs are on the bread aisle and NOT refrigerated). I have been know to walk into bakery after bakery and cafe after cafe...just to look! It's just so fun for me :) Luckily Veteran Mommy is pregnant, so she was feeling a little more of the "food love" than normal and was a trooper!
  
  So I thought I would share with you a few of the fun places that we ate.
  
  The first one was a little cafe that I found on HappyCow.net. One of the reviews online said that the Midtown Melt was one of the Best Sandwiches that they had ever eaten...vegan or not! Pretty compelling testimonial. So we decided to walk on down and give it a try ourselves.
  
  Midtown Melt
  cajun spiced seitan, v-cheddar, agave guacamole, lettuce, chipotle aioli
  
  Now this sandwich is generally not something I really would have ordered. I am not necessarily a fan of seitan, and vegan cheese doesn't usually call out to me. But alas, we thought we would give it a try - so we split one. And what can I say....it was UNBELIEVABLE! The flavors were incredible, and the seitan was breaded, seasoned, and cooked to perfection! My only complaint was that it was on a white focaccia bun - which of course tasted great, but I wish it were on something healthier made with whole grains. That said, I am super excited to recreate this one at home!
  
  Another great place we found, OTARIAN, was right around the corner from where we were staying. It is a fantastic "fast-food" type restaurant that has a clean vegetarian menu made with whole foods. It was outstanding! We were thrilled with all of the choices as well as the prices. Some of the fancier vegan restaurants and cafes can get quite pricey. This place had real food for real prices (they even make their own mayo and BBQ sauce) . How refreshing!
  
  This Mushroom Quinoa Lentil Burger was fabulous as were the Sweet Potato Chiplets. (And for only $7.95!!!)
  
  They also had a small salad bar with 3 choices of salads. We started off with a Curried Couscous Salad with sweet potatoes and cauliflower (absolutely scrumptious) and topped it off with a fantastic Massage Kale salad with Sweetened Pumpkin Seeds...mmmmmmm! Sorry about some of these photos - I only had my iPhone (4) and not my SLR.
  
  Another amazing place we ate was Candle Cafe, which is the cafe version of their fancier restaurant, Candle 79. I read about this place on one of my favorite sites (ChoosingRaw.com) and knew that I needed to check it out. It was quite busy and we had to wait for awhile, but luckily we got in just on time - we flew out of JKF right after out meal :)
  
  The food was wonderful (although a bit spendy). My hubby ordered a sprout salad (knowing he would probably eat a little "non-vegan" something later on :) that was quite tasty.
  
  I had a wonderful Indian Tofu Wrap. It was PERFECT! I am not a huge tofu fan and I was anxious to order something that might tempt me to use it in my kitchen a little more often. Well this wrap certainly did the trick! With grilled marinated tofu, sauteed greens, curried basmati rice, pinto beans, mixed pepper saute and date/raisin chutney all wrapper together in a spinach flour tortilla - it was unbelievable (I am running out of adjectives :). The sweet tomatillo aioli that it was served with is really what made it perfection.
  
  .....and the best part.....my Candle Cafe cookbook just came it the mail yesterday! So you can count on me recreating this dish!
  
  And last but definitely not least, we made our way to Babycakes (Vegan and Gluten Free) Bakery.
  
  It was a bit smaller than I had pictured, but super charming.
  
  There were so many tempting choices, but I settled on a Double Chocolate Crumb cake that was excellent.
  
  I would also recommend their great Gluten-Free Cookbook. Some of the ingredients are a little tricky to find without paying a fortune (like xanthum gum and coconut flour), but it has a great variety of recipes!
  
  And just to let you know, not everything I tried was delicious. We stopped into a beautiful little grocery store right on Eighth Ave and we were intrigued by this "Potato Spinach Knish". Unfortunately it got thrown out quite quickly!
  
  So needless to say, I had an incredible trip to the Big Apple - and yes we did more than just eat - (interesting that the city's nickname is a food though:) and I am anxious to go back!

- Increase Your Exercise Intensity
- Date: 5/5/2012 6:46:21 PM
- We don't talk about working out very often on our site, but all 3 of us firmly believe that one very important element to optimal health is regular exercise.
  
  I went to bed last night determined to wake up early and go for my first outdoor run of the season. I had a goal to run 3 miles up a local canyon and then run 3 miles back down :)
  
  Well, I am a fair-weather runner (and I use the term "runner" very loosely), and when I woke up to a chilly and overcast morning I quickly changed my mind about running outside. So I decided to head to the gym and try to create a run somewhat similar to what I had planned. It was a great workout and I thought I would share it. Just a note - I am the kind of "runner" that listens to music, reads the subtitles on the TV at the gym, watches people and sometimes reads - all to keep from getting bored. I have also learned that changing the setting on my treadmill every minute helps tremendously too :)!
  
  First 2 minutes: Brisk walk to get warmed up. Incline 2.0 Speed 4.0
  
  Minute 3: Incline 2.0 Speed 6.0
  
  Minute 4: Inline 3.0 Speed 6.0
  
  Minute 5: Incline 4.0 Speed 6.0
  
  Minute 6: Incline 5.0 Speed 6.0
  
  Minute 7: Incline back down to 2.0 and repeat the pattern.
  
  Continue these interval changes for the first 3 miles.
  
  Once you have reached mile 3 you will begin your "descent".
  
  Set your incline to 1.0 and increase your speed to 6.5.
  
  After you have finished your 4th mile, change your incline to 0.0 and increase your speed to 7.0
  
  By mile 5 I was beginning to get a little bored to I started to change my speed every minute (6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5 and then back to 6.0 again).
  
  Also, if your treadmill has the decline option you could set it to a -1.0 (mine didn't so I left it at 0.0)
  
  Anyway, it was a great workout and having the 6 mile goal from the get go gave me the motivation I needed.
  
  This workout could easily be adapted to your own fitness level. In fact you could adjust it for walking also. Just remember that when you are at your toughest incline/speed (like in Minute 6 for example) you really want to be pushing yourself. You should be anxiously awaiting the interval change!
  
  So this week make a goal to challenge yourself just a little bit more in your workouts! Your health will be better off and you will be teaching your children the importance of exercise!
  
  <3 Maintenance Mommy

- EASY homemade refried beans
- Date: 5/5/2012 10:05:25 AM
- I have been trying to use less canned goods and more making things fresh. This can be hard when at the end of the day I find myself scrambling for what to make for dinner!?! I have made a pack with myself to be better at planning ahead. I recently found this fabulous recipe from NutrtionMD.org. I altered it just a tiny bit, omitting a can of green chilies. (Which could easily be added when you add the tomatoes)
  
  I like to double this recipe to make enough to store for a few days in a glass container in the fridge and use for several meals. Give it a try.
  
  A fav bean Recipe: Cool Beans Burrito
  
  Refried Beans
  
  Makes about 5 1-cup servings
  
  These beans are flavorful with no added fat. Serve them with rice and a green salad, or as a filling for tacos or burritos.
  
  1 ¹/₂ cups dry pinto beans
  10 ¹/₂ cups water, divided
  4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  1 ¹/₂ teaspoons ground cumin
  ¹/₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1 onion, chopped
  1 cup crushed or finely chopped tomatoes
  ¹/₂ - 1 teaspoon salt
  
  Clean and rinse beans, then soak in 6 cups of water for 6 to 8 hours. Discard soaking water, rinse beans, and place in a large pot with 4 cups of fresh water; add the garlic, cumin, and cayenne. Simmer until tender, about 1 hour.
  
  Heat 1/2 cup of water in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
  A cup at a time, add cooked beans, including some cooking liquid, to tomato mixture. Mash some of the beans as you add them. When all the beans have been added, stir to mix, then cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. Add salt to taste.

- Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake- VEGAN
- Date: 5/3/2012 2:47:42 PM
- So I got the idea for this recipe from NEWBIE MOMMY. She has her version which she graciously let me try...fabulous! Here is what I came up with this afternoon when I felt like a sweet treat. There is a little prep time for this recipe, but it's worth it! It's so good!
  
  Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream/Shake
  
  Ingredients
  
  Frozen Blender Ice Cream Mixture (recipe below)
  
  Soy, Almond or Rice Milk
  
  Cocoa Powder
  
  Peanut Butter
  
  Directions
  
  Depending on how much you want to make- determines the quantity of the ingredients. I made it just for me and my 5 year old- so I cut up about 1 1/2 cups of the frozen mixture (which I made yesterday and put in my freezer). I cut it up in about 1.5 inch squares and place in my blender. I then added a heaping TBS of cocoa powder and 2 TBS of peanut butter. I began blending up the mixture while added rice milk to help it all come together. Add as much liquid as you want, depending on how thick you want the shake. This can be made into ice cream if wanted...just add less liquid.
  
  It's great to pour it into individual cups and place them in the freezer for a later dessert.
  
  This is a fabulous treat and definitely hit the spot.
  
  Blender Ice Cream
  
  1 cup cashew nuts
  ½ cup soft chopped dates
  ½ cup honey
  ½ tsp. salt
  2 tsp. vanilla
  4 cups water
  
  DIRECTIONS
  Place all ingredients in the blender with 2 cups of the water. Blend for about 2 minutes until very smooth. (High powered blender is needed, i.e. Vita-mix).
  
  Add remaining 2 cups of water and pour about 1 inch deep into cake pans or similar. Place in freezer overnight.
  
  When ready to serve, or about 1 hr. before, remove from freezer, cut into squares that can be blended easily.

- Breakfast Waffle Trifle (and it's Gluten-Free!)
- Date: 4/30/2012 10:41:56 AM
- I was in the mood to have breakfast for dinner. But I still wanted to make sure it was a healthy meal (and not just a bunch of syrup poured on processed pancakes). So I decided to create this yummy breakfast trifle. Needless to say my kids loved it!
  
  The recipe is quite simple. To begin, start to make a batch of our delicious waffles. This could be done earlier if you want because I had to put the waffles in the fridge to cool them down. I didn't want them to be too warm in the trifle. I also made 2 batches of the waffles because I have a family of 6. You could probably get away with just one batch for a smaller family.
  
  Whole Grain Blender Waffles
  
  2 cups water
  4-8 dates chopped or 1 TBS concentrated apple juice
  1 cup quick oats
  ¼ cup millet or cornmeal
  ¼ cup flaxeed
  ¼ cup raw cashew nuts
  1 TBS cornstarch
  ½ tsp salt
  
  DIRECTIONS
  Preheat waffle iron (Belgium Waffle iron works great). Blend all ingredients for 1 minute or until smooth (high powered blender is needed i.e. Vita-mix). Pour mixture into preheated waffle iron and close the lid. Bake until steam stops rising and the waffle is golden brown and crisp (anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes).
  
  While the waffles are cooking begin preparing the "Whipped Cream".
  
  "Whipped Cream" Topping
  
  1/2 cup soy milk
  
  1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  
  12-14 oz Silken Tofu, drained
  
  1 tsp of pure vanilla extract (I just used the Costco brand)
  
  OPTIONAL: 2 TBS of "Ultra Gel" - I added this as a thickener, but don't worry if you don't have any, it won't change the taste. (I bought mine at a local Bosch Store).
  
  Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor until smooth.
  
  Begin assembling the trifle by ripping pieces of the waffle to create the first "layer" in your bowl. Spread a portion of the whipped cream topping over the waffle pieces (I did a third of the topping because I wanted 3 layers). Then top that layer with fresh or frozen (and thawed) fruit of your choice. I used strawberries and of course mangoes (because they are my favorite). Simply repeat these same steps until you have filled your dish.
  
  You could also turn this into more of a dessert dish by topping it with a bit of chocolate mousse.....mmmmm!
  
  Chocolate Mousse
  
  1 cup of semi-sweet choc chips (look for a brand that is dairy-free like Guittard or Ghiradelli)
  
  1/2 cup of Almond milk (I prefer the vanilla)
  
  12-14 oz Silken Tofu, drained
  
  1 TBS vanilla
  
  Melt the chocolate chips and then combine all of the ingredients into a high-powered blender. Let it refrigerate for about 30 minutes to let it set up.
  
  :) Maintenance Mommy

- Vegan Vs Plant-Based, is there a difference?
- Date: 4/27/2012 10:31:59 PM
- Vegan vs Plant-based, is there a difference?
  
  YES! A HUGE one! I know this may seem silly to some who like to just just lump us all under the same title "weird". Lately, it seems there are more articles trying to debunk veganism, therefore turning people off from considering a plant-based lifestyle. I would like to attempt to clear up the confusion.
  
  I just read an article by an ex- "fairly dedicated" vegetarian woman turned vegan hater. She claims that her diet is why she was so ill and now she publishes rubbish about vegans. I am not sure how she got this authority, but she is running with it. She has no real credentials, just a loud opinion. I am more trusting of scientific research than opinions. Being a fairly dedicated anything might make you ill! It's obvious that she was not getting proper nutrition being that she was fairly dedicated to not eat meat?! Nourishing our bodies properly is not a half-hearted job. It takes time and effort. We all know that. I am disappointed that her poor attempt at vegetarianism has the ability to effect so many people.
  
  We got an email from a reader who was worried about feeding her children vegan, because she had read and article posted by this woman. I am in support of figuring out what works best for your body and spreading the love, but there is no one that has the authority to tear down others because of their beliefs. To this woman I say, tout your meat eating cookbook and leave us plant eaters out of it!!
  
  Phew, just needed to be a bit of a mama bear for a minute. Now to try and clear things up.
  
  The difference:
  
  According to Wikipedia: Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products.
  
  Whole Food Plant-Based diet. (my def) The practice of eating mostly plants, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds in their whole,original form. (or very close to it)
  
  My focus has shifting from time to time between the two. I find that when I eating vegan and only focusing on abstaining from animal items, it is very easy to gain weight and feel clouded. I then get frustrated thinking that I am eating well, but what is happening? I am getting better and better at recognizing these phases and they are getting less frequent. However this can be hard for kids because being vegan is trendy, and now there are so many "fun" foods being created to support vegans. Did you know Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch, Cracker Jacks,Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Flavored Tortilla Chips,Famous Amos Sandwich Cookies (Chocolate, vanilla, Oatmeal Macaroon, and peanut butter flavors), Fritos, Krispy Kreme Fruit Pies, Teddy Grahams, Oreos, and Ruffles potato chips (all dressed, bbq, and plain flavors) are all VEGAN? This is about 10% of the list I found, all processed junk food, but no animals were harmed. (For a full list from PETA Click here.) Now if you are copying and pasting this to shopping list STOP! ;)
  
  Not one of of these items is considered healthy from a plant-based approach! We want to put food into our bodies that it can recognize and use as fuel to heal and energize our cells. We want REAL food, the stuff that grows from the ground! I know that can be hard to find all seasons and in different locations around the world, but do your best. T
  
  A sample list of fruits and veggies in season: apricots, asparagus,artichokes, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, chard and leafy GREENS (very important for a daily consumption), cherries, grapefruit, green onions, kiwis, leeks, lemons, oranges, peas, radishes, spinach, strawberries,sweet onions.The list is seemingly endless when you start to look around. Hang out in the produce section or at your local farmers markets. Spring is the best to time to fully commit to being plant-based. The local markets are full of fresh produce just waiting for us to enjoy!
  
  It is very easy to eat vegan and still be lacking vital nutrients that your body needs to function and optimal levels. Be very careful, do your research, and get to know your bodies and what it needs. There are a great number of resources out there. As whole food mommies we recommend reading ANY and ALL of Dr Joel Fuhrmans books. He has a great book called," Disease Proof your Child" that we highly recommend if you are raising children. We love Dr. Esselstyn and his son Rip. They both have so much great stuff going on. Then there is our beloved T Colin Campbell, author of The China Study (if you do not have this book, put it on your list!) Dr McDougall has a great website, books, and even has fabulous retreats (one my bucket list!). Dr Dean Ornish is another great guy with credible information. Don't get overwhelmed. Start with one book at a time. If you have not yet seen Forks Over Knives, please take the time to sit and watch this! It streams live on netflix and I know its available on amazon. There are so many great resources out there.
  
  Being vegan means abstain from animal everything, being whole food plant-based means, you have a gigantic colorful list of foods you can and should be eating. People love to ask us, so you can't eat this or that? My husband is so great to respond with, "It's not about you can't eat, it's about what you should be eating". That usually stops them and gets them thinking. It's a paradigm shift, there are so many wonderful foods that we can and should be eating. When we fill our plates with those, there is no room for the animal products that harm us and the animals. Its a WIN-WIN!!
  
  One of the articles I referenced above. Its awful and makes me so angry that she could be so off!
  
  The response from Dr McDougall to the article. Read this too!

- Quinoa & Brown Rice w/Garlic
- Date: 4/26/2012 7:24:41 AM
- I found this product this week at Costco and thought I would like to try it.
  
  The ingredients looked pretty good (other than the sodium). But it is made from whole grains and can be cooked in your microwave for 90 seconds. It comes in a 2 cup serving...which I thought would work great for a quick lunch. I made dinner with it last night for just me and the kids. I ended up adding chunks of baked sweet potatos, some diced tomatoes and topped it with creamy cilantro dressing. My oldest put it in a wrap and loved it! Thought I would share!