Welcome To My Schizoid Blog ;-)

One minute I'm writing about health food, & the next booze & chocolate? So what's my deal? Well, I've got moods just like the rest of you. And I'm a Gemini. ;-) So, in emoticons, that means you might get either >:) or O:-), depending on which twin decides to check in at the appointed heure de blogging. ;-)

(Speaking of which, I think I'm going to cut out the little figurines from this website & perch them on my shoulder the next time the twins want to duke it out.)

Sometimes I feel like blogging about chocolate-covered goodies & other times, about food that's good for you! So, whichever category you like to read about, stick around, because this blog will have a bit of both!

Now I know I've said on previous occasions that I was going to mainly focus on delicious & healthy, whole foods, but there are times when the >:) in me just has to blog about gourmet goodies too. After all, life isn't all applesauce & oatmeal. ;-)

Recipe #37: A Very Vibrant Vichyssoise

This is vichyssoise like you've never had it before! Not only is it more interesting & flavorful than the traditional version, but I've also reworked it so it's also lower in fat. It's so incredibly creamy & delicious that you won't believe that the recipe doesn't contain any cream.

I made it earlier tonight for dinner & it was delicious! Hope you enjoy it too!



A Very Vibrant Vichyssoise

Ingredients:
2 leeks, sliced (crosswise) into 1/4" rounds
1 Tbsp. butter
3 c. water
2 large red potatoes, peeled & cubed
1/2 pint mushrooms, sliced into quarters
2 Tbsp. sherry
1/4 c. lite nonfat creamer (i.e., I use low-fat, plain-flavored "Coffeemate")
1/4 c. low-fat plain soymilk (i.e., I use low-fat, plain-flavored, refrigerated "Silk" soy milk)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. chopped chives (fresh, if possible)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
(1) Toss butter & leeks into a sauce pot & cook gently until they soften, for about a minute or so. Leeks will cook very quickly, so watch them carefully & do not let them brown or burn.
(2) Add water & cubed potatoes & cook for 15 minutes.
(3) Then add mushrooms & sherry & cook for another 15 minutes.
(4) Remove sauce pot from heat & transfer contents to blender. (Don't use a food processor, or mixture will become gummy.)
(5) Add creamer, soy milk, & lemon juice.
(6) Season with salt & pepper.
(7) Blend mixture until smooth.
(8) Pour mixture into soup bowls, & garnish with chives.
(9) Serve & enjoy!

Yield: Makes 2 servings.

Chefs Suggestions: If you'd like to give the soup a bit more "zing," then just add several springs of watercress (about 1-2 c.). A little bit of watercress goes a long way; too much & the soup will taste bitter. So easy does it. ;-)

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You've Got To Check Out TasteSpotting.com!

OMG, I just discovered the pantheon of all foodie sites, TasteSpotting.com. Have any of you ever heard of this site before?! It's absolutely amazing. It contains links to a zillion recipe sites -- mostly blogs -- & has the most amazing pictures of food I've seen.

It's more or less a composite recipe site in which you can register (for free) & submit recipes from your blog to share with the foodie community at large. In addition to being a great place to exchange recipes, it's also an excellent place to discover new recipe blogs & of course showcase your own recipe blog.

The pictures alone will make your mouth water. After looking at this site, you'll want to dive into the kitchen & take these recipes for a test drive. So be sure to check it out! You'll be really glad you did!

Nutrition Tip #3: Why Exercising & Eating Healthy Are Only Part of The Equation

OK, so you eat healthy foods & exercise regularly. That's great & I applaud you for it.

And you limit the amount of fat, caffeine, alcoholic beverages, & refined sugars in your diet. Again, excellent work. Pat yourself on the back & give yourself a cookie. Er, well, perhaps I should rephrase that. ;-) Well, you know what I mean.....

And now let me ask this, how many of you who eat healthfully & limit your refined sugar intake wonder why you still get cavities? Anyone?

Well, for those of you who want to know the answer to that question, I'm here to clear up that little mystery. ;-) Even if you don't have cavities, you might still want to read this article, to learn ways to stay cavity-free.

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Limiting the amount of sugar in your diet doesn't mean you won't get cavities. (While genetics & other biological issues can certainly be factors in determining one's likelihood of getting cavities, for now let's just focus on factors within our immediate control. ;-)

You might be surprised to know that sugary foods aren't the only source of cavities. All carbohydrates -- and not just sugar -- can contribute to the situation. And that means even foods like milk, pasta, rice, & fruit!



Right about now you might very well be wondering: "So, if even the most basic carbohydrates can cause cavities, what the heck am I supposed to eat that's good for me?" Or, maybe you're thinking: "Why exactly is this so & what can I do about it?!"

Well first, it might help to understand how a cavity is formed: The bacteria in your mouth combines with the carbs you eat to form dental plaque. This substance accumulates on the surfaces of the teeth, between the teeth, & sometimes even on your tongue. Yuck!

But the real culprit is the acid formed by the carb-plaque combo, which attacks your tooth enamel & can cause tooth decay. The acidic plaque eats away at the enamel, dissolving the calcium in the tooth. If enough calcium disappears, the surface breaks & forms a hole. And that's how cavities form.

Of course, if follows that the more often you eat carbs, then the more often this pesky cavity-causing acid's going to hang out on your teeth. So what can do you do about it? Easy. Whenever possible, brush your teeth & floss after meals! ;-) Aside from being a mark of good hygiene, regular brushing & flossing is absolutely essential for cavity prevention. Even if you can't brush or floss, at the very least, it's a good idea to rinse your mouth with water, to dislodge food particles from your teeth.

There are several other things you can do to combat cavities. Aside from suggesting ridiculous ideas like eating less often (Eating several small snacks & meals a day actually helps regular blood sugar & is also a good deterrent to eating imbalances, to avoid overeating or gravitating towards unhealthy foods, etc.) or going on a no-carb diet (Hahahaha! Don't worry, I'm not going to suggest that! We all need to eat some form of carbohydrates for health & nutritional balance; veggies also contain carbs, BTW!), here are some other, more realistic recommendations:

• Choose snacks that are less likely to get caught in your teeth. ;-) (Low-fat cheese or apple slices with peanut better are some good examples.)
  
• At the very least, brush your teeth a minimum of twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
• Floss atleast once a day to remove plaque & food particles from teeth & under the gum line.
• Go the dentist regularly.
• Eat a balanced diet.

Now that you are armed to the teeth with information (Pun intended! ;-) ) & perhaps even a newfound respect for dental hygiene, it's time to show those nefarious pieces of plaque that you mean business, just like our cavity-fighting hero pictured here on the immediate left. "Yeeee-haw!" ;-) So go get 'em, tiger. It's a show-down at the OK Corral, with you wielding your toothbrush like a six-shooter & your floss like a lasso. ;-)

Dr. Frankenstein's in the Kitchen! ;-)

"It's, it's ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ;-)

So, I was just wondering: How many of you out there in the blogosphere enjoy concocting new creations in the kitchen? Do you ever create your own original recipes, or mostly just put a new twist on existing ones? Just how experimental ARE you?! ;-)

Bloggers, Get Your Blog Listed At The Million Blog List!

I just wanted to encourage my fellow bloggers to join the Million Blog List Project. (BTW, if you're curious, this blog is #1042 on the list.) Of course, the goal is to reach 1 million blogs, but it's also a directory where you can get more visibility for your blogs. So check it out!



Also, I just wanted to encourage the rest of my blogger pals out there who aren't already connected to me via Facebook or some other social networking communities (you know who you are), to befriend me on these communities, if you haven't already done so. To find me on these social networks, just click on any of the links on the Wink widget at the bottom of the left sidebar of this blog & that'll take you to the corresponding profile page where you can befriend/link to me.

Another great idea for bloggers is to use this blog's Wink bar as a checklist for the social networking communities you'd like to join! ;-) The more places to list your blog(s) the better, right?! ;-) Just thought you might find this tip helpful!

Speaking of which, if you have a particularly good blog directory resource you'd like to share, one which isn't already mentioned here on this blog, you're more than welcome to share it with us here in the comments section of this post. I'm sure that the bloggers who hang out here would certainly be grateful for the tips! Thanks!

Nutrition Tip #2: How to Conquer A Sugar Addiction

I'm not going to deny it. I love sweets. Most people do.

However, I also realize that if I were to eat a diet high in refined sugars, I wouldn't exactly be doing myself any favors either.

Of course, the trick is to eat it in moderation.

Too much sugar over prolonged periods of time can have deleterious effects upon your health & physiology, as most of you already full-well know. It can wreak havoc with your skin (i.e., prematurely aging it!), teeth, and waistline, etc., to name just a few areas of the body. And of course, there are more serious medical consequences, like diabetes and reactive hypoglycemia. Refined sugar has even been linked to increased risks for various diseases and cancers.

So, it's clear that regulating one's refined sugar intake is a crucially important health matter indeed. Even regulating one's intake of natural sugars are equally important in maintaining health. The point is not to replace a "refined sugar high" with a natural one, but to find balance in your dietary plan. And that's such an essential key to health & well-being. After all, they don't call it a balanced diet for nothing. ;-)

It's not exactly an earth-shattering conclusion to recognize that most health problems, and life problems in general, are caused by imbalance. So, it makes sense that the more balance in your life, the healthier & possibly even happier you will hopefully be!

But I'm not here to scare you witless; I'm here to offer some helpful suggestions & alternatives.

[I loathe fear tactics: Giving people a good scare rarely usually only has a temporary effect upon people's consciences, unless they are facing immediate mortal danger, like a serious health crisis, etc. Rather, my point is this: Why wait until it gets that dire? (Physicians, and people in general, need to put more emphasis on practicing preventative medicine!)]

So, if you know you are eating way too much refined sugar in your diet, it's probably worth reconsidering your eating behaviors & making a concerted effort to limit (note, I didn't say completely eliminate!) the amount of sugar in your diet, so that you can enjoy good health & stay on this earth for as long as possible.

The big problem is that many people find eating refined sugar incredibly addictive. And like a junkie, it takes greater & greater concentrations of the substance to achieve the same effect.

In specific, there's been a lot of recent debate over whether or not high fructose corn syrup (or HFCS as it's mostly commonly called) is really the "crack of all sweetners" out there. It's been linked to increased sugar cravings & also an increase in obesity (as per studies done of female & male subjects in the United States).

But putting all of that aside for a moment, let's just focus upon a common sense point: HFCS is a molecularly-altered, chemical compound not found in nature. And do you really want to put something into your body that we still apparently doesn't know that much about?

Some of you might hedge your bets & take your chances, but I'll stick to eating whole foods as much as humanly possible, thank you very much.

Of course, I'm certainly not immune from the "sugar addiction" phenomenon either, but I've worked out a "deal" with myself so that things don't get out of hand. So to keep the sugar cravings in check, I have a "weekend fun food" guideline, where I allow myself the weekend to indulge in "reasonable amounts" of sugar/sweets. When the weekend ends, so does the bulk of my sugar/sweets-eating. While I'm not always successful in keeping the "deal" -- it honestly depends upon my larger motivations -- it certainly does help immensely to have a food "guideline" for managing the cravings. Note, I didn't say food "rule," which would imply an immutable rigidity. ;-) When I'm not in training, this weekend guideline might also include an occasional alcoholic beverage as well.

Realistically, I know that sometimes it's not always possible to always eat organic, whole foods especially when I'm not the person preparing the food & cooking meals. But I'm still going to try to do my best.

Basically, if I were to have an "eating credo," the tenets would be the along the following lines:
(1) To eat a full & balanced diet of whole organic foods, rich in lean proteins & Omega complex fatty acids, non rBST (i.e., bovine growth hormone) dairy foods, legumes, vegetables, fruits, & whole grains, etc.
(2) To eat consciously, slowly savoring my food -- & to enjoy the experience of eating. This means that when I eat, I am ONLY eating, not simultaneously watching TV or reading.
(3) To eat whole organic foods & to avoid putting chemicals in my body. After all, the body is a temple. ;-)
(4) To eat consciously & free myself from the crazed notion of having to be a "health-food saint" 24/7 & instead enjoy the occasional treat (i.e., french fries, chocolate, etc.). At times, I give myself permission to eat what I want & not just "what I think I should eat." This doesn't mean that I consume unlimited amounts of food, but rather that I've got some established guidelines concerning portion sizes, to help maintain nutritional balance, as well as a healthy weight & body fat percentage.
(5) To create meals & original recipes that follow the above guidelines, to serve as a complement to my nutritional/health goals. ;-)

So, in keeping with tenet #5, you'll notice that I frequently feature recipes on this blog that use healthy alternatives to refined sugar. Yes, you might occasionally still see a recipe here or there that happens to contain refined sugar -- usually in limited amounts, but whenever & wherever possible, I will also include suggestions for sugar substitutes & ingredients which are "natural sweeteners" like honey, stevia, etc.

You'd be surprised how yummy recipes can taste with other naturally sweet ingredients. If you tasted these recipes without knowing the ingredients beforehand, you might not even notice the difference! You'll find it hard to believe that they contain not a smidgen of refined sugar. Yes, my new catch phrase for this post is "I can't believe it's not sugar!" ;-)

Have Some Cookies, And Munch On The Label While You're At It!

Now check this out! Now you can read the nutritional content of your cookie on the actual cookie. Yes, you heard me correctly. And no, I'm not making this up.

Design company Andrew Andrew is selling these 4" x 5" cookies at a cost of $25 per 2 cookies. Whoah. I wonder how many they've sold (especially at that price)?

It could be a good idea from the consumers' perspective. After all a good customer is an informed customer, etc., etc.

Who knows? Maybe people will eat a cookie like this. That is, if reading the contents doesn't stop you dead in your tracks first. But maybe people won't stop long enough to read the label because they're too busy eating it! ;-)

My question is this: Will printing the nutritional information directly on the cookie deter people from actually eating the cookie? There are 13 grams of fat in a single cookie. Hmmm, that'd make me think twice before eating it. ;-)

Also, I don't know about the overall appeal of this cookie: Aside from turned off after seeing how many fat calories I'd potentially be pasting onto my hips, these cookies frankly aren't that aesthetically pleasing to the eye. That's part of the delight of eating desserts, after all. (And of course, if you're going to blow the calories, it'd better taste good too!) A big rectangular cookie with a giant label on it? Sounds more like a sales gimmick that Andy Warhol would have a field day recreating as a tongue-in-cheek joke (i.e., he'd probably do a silk-screen mosaic of the cookies in 10 different colors!), rather than a seriously viable marketing concept.

Just what we've always wanted, edible labels, right?! LOL. What will they possibly think of next?!

But what I want to know is this: Do they factor in the label when they're counting calories & other such nutritional data? ;-)

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(Apparently, this isn't exactly breaking news, but since it's the first I've heard of it, it's certainly news to me! After all, it's not exactly the stuff of headlining, front pages news. ;-) But one can never tell with so many info-tainment news programs these days!)

Gone To the Dogs, Er, I Mean, Daleks.... ;-)

Those of you Doctor Who fans (a.k.a., "Whovians") will certainly appreciate the below recipe links:

Hey, kiddies, now you too can bake your very own Dalek cake, courtesy of the CBBC. ;-) How hilarious is that?!

Is it just me, or does this thing look like it's about to topple over any minute now? World domination in cake form? I think not -- Atleast not with this wobbly construction! ;-) It looks more like the "Leaning Tower of Cake" to me!

Now how fun would it be to karate chop these things in two?! Hahahahaha. That would be hard to resist, eh?!


And, if you can't get enough Doctor Who cookery, there's also a recipe to make a Chocolate Dalek, which can be found here, courtesy of Chocablog.

EX-TER-MIN-ATE, EX-TER-MIN-ATE! ;-)

Speaking of which, the fat & cholesterol content of a single chocolate Dalek could probably clog the arteries of both of Doctor Who's hearts! LOL. Extermination by chocolate, indeed. ;-)



Or, alternatively, you could try your hand at making Dalek cookies, which you can apparently make using a special cooking-baking kit. Looks like the cookie kit is now a collector's item, but you might be able to get one on eBay. ;-)



And here's a picture of the finished product:



And lastly, get a kick out of this! Treat that special Whovian in your life to a TARDIS cake. Yes, that's right, you heard me. Look at this picture of the final product:



I thought it turned out pretty well!

And here's yet another version, complete with jelly babies. If you'd like to try making one yourself, here is a recipe, which I found on the web.

Hope all of you Whovians out there enjoyed this moment of complete "Who-larity"! (Ba-dump-bump.)

Recipe #36: North Indian-Style Omelette -- Eggs For The Adventurous!

Don't know about you, but every once in a while, I get tired of eating the same kind of omelettes with the same old ingredients. Most omelette recipes you'll see in typical American cookbooks or online recipe archives will have ingredients like tomatoes, cheese, & vegetables (i.e., usually onions, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, & the like). The origins of these recipes are typically American (particularly Continental & Southwestern American), Spanish, English, & French. There's nothing wrong with that, but sometimes it just gets a little.... predictable. So every once & a while, I like to shake it up & toss in something unusual. ;-)

I realize that not all of you will fancy the idea of the below recipe, as it's undoubtedly different from what many of you might be accustomed to eating, but I ask that you keep an open mind & give the concept a chance before you dismiss it. You never know, you might discover, that by trying this recipe, that you've found a new favorite dish to make.

It's been taste-tested in my household (I made it last night for dinner), & it came back with a green light. And those of you who regularly follow this blog, already know that my household has some fairly discerning "customers" to please. ;-)

So, if you are an omelette lover, enjoy Indian dishes & spices, have an adventurous palate & are up for something a little bit out of the ordinary, there's a very good chance you'll like this recipe. The great thing about this recipe is also super-fast & easy, & takes less than 5-10 minutes to make. And with that introduction, I give you the recipe for an "North Indian-Style Omelette"!



North Indian-Style Omelette

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. butter
3 eggs
1 dried red chili, crushed
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. raw almond slivers
1 tsp. garam masala (or if you don't have this, you can use red curry powder instead -- i.e., "McCormick's Gourmet Collection Blends" makes a decent version)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Crack eggs into a bowl, & beat together.
2. Add all remaining ingredients -- save the butter -- to the bowl & mix together thoroughly.
3. Heat skillet (or omelette pan) to medium-high heat & add butter.
4. After butter melts, pour egg mixture into the pan. After omelet starts to solidify, fold over & cook until golden brown. Serve & enjoy!

Yield: Makes a single serving. (If needed, double, triple, or quadruple recipe, etc.)

Chef's Notes:
Tips for the health-conscious: You can also add a bit of Lite non-dairy creamer to add richness. It's a great way to add a fuller flavor without the fat calories. Also, if you'd like to reduce fat calories, you can make an egg-white omelette or leave out the butter. Of course, if you leave out the butter, you'll need to make the omelette in a non-stick pan; Calphalon makes great non-stick pans that aren't made with Teflon. As many of you already know, Teflon pans contain a chemical known as perfluorooctanoic acid (or PFOA), which is potentially unhealthy, especially since it's been known to peel off & bond to food. Now while the verdict's still out on PFOA's long-term effects, it's probably best not to chance it. Think about it. Would you want a substance like that in your stomach? I certainly wouldn't. In general, I try to steer away from ingesting chemical compounds whenever I can help it, whether they be found in food, the air, or household objects. ;-) )

On that note, I don't use non-stick aerosol sprays like PAM & the like, for the very same reason.
IMPORTANT: If you aren't used to cooking with hot chilis or high-heat spice blends, I'd particularly recommend using a mild garam masala the first time you make this dish, especially since this recipe also calls for a red chili, which already gives the dish plenty of heat. You can always add more spice to the dish after you are done cooking it, by sprinkling some red pepper flakes on top. Or, alternatively, if you want to use a hotter garam masala, there's always a next time around. ;-)

After all, you want to make sure t