Quinoa is one of those ingredients that never ceases to amaze me. This gluten-free seed (not grain) is super high in protein (to keep you full & focused until lunchtime), is ridiculously easy to cook (1 to 2 quinoa to liquid ratio, boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes), and is also incredibly versatile. Case in point – you can eat it for breakfast in a semi-sweet dish, then toss it with veggies for a savory lunch or dinner side.

And blueberries are a powerhouse of antioxidants and flavor. Throw in some nuts (healthy fats help your body absorb vitamins & minerals and slow the uptake of sugar to your bloodstream!), a drizzle of pure maple syrup, and some antioxidant-packed, blood-sugar regulating cinnamon and you’re good to go!

The blueberries (especially if you use frozen like I did) turn the whole dish into a massive purple mess, which I, for one, think is amazing. Your kids will love it, trust me.

Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa

[adapted from Life Currents]

Ingredients:

Directions:

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh colander to remove the saponins (we don’t want bitter tasting quinoa). Combine quinoa, water, milk, and cinnamon in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (until most of the liquid has been absorbed).

Meanwhile, toast almonds or pecans in the toaster oven at 350 F for 5-6 minutes.

Remove quinoa from heat and let stand for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in blueberries. Portion into bowls and garnish with nuts and a drizzle of maple syrup.

What’s your favorite high protein breakfast option? 

This post is linked to Monday Mania, Homestead Barn Hop

©2012 Laurel of Leaves. All Rights Reserved.

Did you also know that pomegranates are one of my favorite wintertime fruits? Just in case you weren’t aware, get yourself filled in on how to open one, then go make yourself some quesadillas or muffins with them. Or, of course, stick around on this page and include them in this Winter Chop Salad with Apple, Pear, & Pomegranates. It’s a hefty boost of antioxidants and energy for your day.

Salads are typically a spring and summer food for me. They’re light and crisp and refreshing in the sweltering, sometimes oppressive, heat and humidity of Tennessee. For most of the winter I’m shivering in my fuzzy brown robe as I work on prepping dinner, and the thought of eating cold food like salads or smoothies doesn’t really appeal to me. But after a while, my body starts reminding me that I need more salads in my life. I need more raw, fresh nutrition. Spring is just around the corner! Let’s eat a salad!

This salad is perfect for that occasion. It uses seasonal ingredients and literally burst with flavor in your mouth. My husband and I both polished off extra large bowls for lunch the other day.

Winter Chop Salad with Apple, Pear, & Pomegranate

[adapted from With Style & Grace]

Ingredients:

Dressing:

Directions:

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a separate small bowl and whisk together. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Just looking at the pictures makes me want to whip up another batch!

What are your favorite winter salad combinations?

This post is linked to Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursday

©2012 Laurel of Leaves. All Rights Reserved.

At any rate, this is one of those ‘special occasion’ meals that would be perfect for, I don’t know, maybe Valentine’s Day? If you’re like me, you will be cooking at home and renting a romantic comedy instead of spending exorbitant amounts of money and fighting crowds at a restaurant. (Although I do have to say the special menu at The Silly Goose – my most favorite restaurant ever – sounds delectable. Talk about drooling on the keyboard.)

Gnocchi is a traditional Italian dish made from potatoes. I love the flavorful, nutrient-rich alternative of using sweet potatoes. Very yummy. And butter. Oh, the butter. It isn’t the butter that makes this dish a ‘special occasion’ meal. No, butter is chock full of necessary and very healthy fats, vitamins, & minerals. It will NOT clog your arteries and it will NOT make you gain weight. Eat it liberally to balance your hormones, train your body to actually become a fat-burner, and boost your mood. It’s good stuff.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage & Browned Butter

Ingredients:

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 450 F. Poke holes in your sweet potatoes with a fork, place on a baking tray and roast for 40 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, place it in a bowl, and mash until smooth.

Add to the bowl 1 egg, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, and about 1 1/2 c. flour. Mix together, then knead until a dough forms. Add more flour as needed until your mixture is no longer sticky.

Divide your dough into four parts and roll out each until they are long and skinny. With a knife, slice off 1-inch pieces. You can gently press each piece with the tines of fork for a traditional gnocchi decoration.

Now bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, drop in the gnocchi pieces with a slotted spoon and boil until they float to the top. Remove from the water and set aside on a pan or plate.

Next melt the butter in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet. Continue cooking the butter over a medium-low heat until it begins to brown. Add the gnocchi and fresh sage and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Toss gently to evenly coat the gnocchi in the pan. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

©2012 Laurel of Leaves. All Rights Reserved.

I’m pretty sure I’ve eaten these roasted Brussels sprouts at least three days a week for the past two weeks. They are seriously that easy and that delicious! A friend whipped them up for me when we visited her before Christmas, then when I saw this beauty at Trader Joe’s (for a mere $3.50!) I knew I couldn’t pass it up:

That gorgeous man in the picture would be my husband, who also loves roasted Brussels sprouts, especially when they remind him of a mace. I suppose any food that reminds a guy of a prehistoric weapon of war would be ideal to serve to him, huh?

Alas, TJ’s has yet to offer an entire stalk of sprouts for sale since that time, so I’ve had to settle for buying them from Costco (2 lbs. for $3.99). Of course, now that I’ve moved into a house (!) with a yard (!!) I plan to grow my own. Hubby, beware, Brussels sprouts could end up on the menu five nights a week at that point.

They were especially nice served alongside salmon (pan-cooked in butter & seasoned with sea salt, pepper, dill, and lemon juice). Thank you Whole Foods for your one day sale! I couldn’t pass up wild-caught Alaskan salmon for $7.99/lb. It was still a spurge for us, but with the amazing omega-3 fatty acids in salmon, I figured this would be one of the only times we could actually afford salmon that didn’t come in a can.

Roast up your own Brussels sprouts using these guidelines:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut Brussels sprouts in half and place on a baking tray or in a roasting dish. Drizzle grapeseed oil over them, season with salt and pepper, then stir, making sure all Brussels sprouts are evenly coated with oil.

Pop the tray in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring once during cooking. They are ready when the Brussels sprouts turn bright green and just begin to brown.

Brussels sprouts belong to the same family as cabbage, so you’ll notice a similar taste if you’ve ever roasted cabbage. That also means it comes with a bit of a, ahem, smell. I personally think they smell fantastic and have never noticed anything malodorous, but when I cooked these up at my in-law’s house, my father in-law couldn’t even get over how horrible they smelled as they cooked. Broke my little Brussels sprout loving heart! Needless to say, he didn’t try a taste, by my mother in-law loved them. Hopefully you will as well!

Have Brussels sprouts always held that ‘gross’ stigma in your mind? Or do you love them as much as I do? 

This post is linked to Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursday

©2012 Laurel of Leaves. All Rights Reserved.

But don’t let a scary sounding ingredient turn you away from this dish. The burdock is well worth seeking out for the sweet, nutty flavor and isn’t nearly as intimidating as it sounds. I asked the guy in the produce section at Whole Foods if they carried it. He turned around, picked up a long brown root vegetable about 2 feet long and handed it to me.

Umm, ok.

I put it in my cart. It rang up around 69 cents, and I only used half for this recipe. The other half might make an appearance in a repeat of this dish (cuz it was that good!) or as a tea. It’s great for purifying the blood and detoxifying the skin.

Other than the burdock, the rest of the ingredients are pretty straightforward. You probably have everything you need in the pantry or fridge ready to go! If not, take an inventory, then add to your shopping list.

Stuffed Eggplant with Quinoa & Burdock

Ingredients:

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a baking sheet with 1 tsp. of grapeseed oil. Place the halved eggplants on the baking sheet, cut side down. Bake until tender – about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, heat remaining 2 tsp. of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the burdock and cook, stirring often, until just golden. Add onions and cook until tender. Then add carrots & celery and cook for a few minutes more. Add cooked quinoa, Bragg’s, and black pepper and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and let it rest, covered, while the eggplants finish cooking.

When the eggplants are tender, remove them from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 F. Allow them to cool until they are cool enough to scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/3-inch wall around the edges. Chop up the eggplant pulp and mix with the almonds into the quinoa and vegetable mixture.

Stuff each eggplant boat with the quinoa mixture and arrange them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top and bake until golden brown and hot, about 30 minutes.

Then revel in the praise and adoration of your family for such a deliciously healthy and hearty meal. Save the leftovers (if there are any) for lunch the next day. Just warm it up in the toaster oven.

Have you ever cooked with burdock root?

This post is linked to Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursday, Monday Mania

©2012 Laurel of Leaves. All Rights Reserved.

New Year’s Resolutions: One Month In

So, taking a look back at what I resolved to do this year, here are the items that applied to January:

• Read a book each month. Done for January! I just finished Compelled by Love by Heidi Baker today (cutting it close, huh?) For February, I think I will read Folks, This Ain’t Normal by Joel Salatin. It’s definitely a more hefty read, so I’ll need to get busy!
• Publish 6 blog posts and 1 guest blog post each month. Bam. What you’re reading now marks post #6, and my wonderful friend James wrote a great guest post on Amasai cultured dairy from Beyond Organic.
• Guest post on another blog at least once a month. Major fail on this one. No guest posting happened this month for me. I even had two opportunities to do so, but just didn’t get around to it. This has also been a lesson for me in learning to be flexible. There’s no need to beat up on myself if certain things don’t get done. Maybe I’ll double up in February?

Busy Bees at the Green Pond

This past month has also been one of incredible favor when it comes to my husband’s and my website design business, Green Pond Creative. We started offering custom blog header design and took on quite a few new web design clients. So, needless to say, I’ve been busy contacting clients, organizing website content, and coordinating the launches of great new sites like this one for Reinarts Family Chiropractic in Franklin, TN:

I Started Meal Planning

This is something I’ve tried to do in the past. I know all the logical reasons why planning your meals in advance helps you save time and money and sanity. But for the life of me, I couldn’t get over the thought that I just don’t know what I’ll be in the mood to eat next Thursday! It has taken me months to finally find some rhythms and strategies that work for me, but I’m really liking where it’s headed! It’s given me a chance to try lots of new recipes like Stuffed Eggplant with Quinoa and Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage & Browned Butter. (Don’t worry, recipes are coming soon! Those dishes were both delicious!)

We Have a House!

This one is huge, you guys! If you followed me at all last year, you probably gathered that I spent most of that time traveling in New Zealand with my husband. We moved out of our apartment, put our stuff in storage, and headed out to volunteer with different host families in exchange for meals & accommodation. It was, in a word, amazing. You can check out our travels here if you’re so inclined.

But since we’ve returned Stateside, we’ve been technically homeless as friends and family let us crash at their place over the last 2 1/2 months. I haven’t slept in my own bed for the past 13 months since we left. But all that changes tomorrow when we move into our new rental house — exactly one year from the day we boarded the plane for New Zealand! My car is crammed full of boxes and suitcases right now, ready to finally be unpacked.

Oh, Pinterest

Now that I have a house to decorate, I’ve been pinning like crazy. I really like this idea to turn an old filing cabinet into a kitchen island:

And using pant hangers to display prints and posters:

I’ve also found some great inspiration for health & fitness. Check this out:

Such a great reminder to get off the scale, quit worrying about numbers, and get healthy & fit!

How was your January? What new or interesting thing did you learn?

©2012 Laurel of Leaves. All Rights Reserved.

Of course, if you’re not familiar with pomegranates, you might be a bit intimidated by them. Just how, exactly, is one supposed to dig into this exotic fruit? It’s actually really simple once you see it done. So I filmed a tutorial video for you:

How to Open a Pomegranate:

Are you a fan of pomegranates? What other exotic fruit do you wish you knew what to do with?

This post is linked to Monday Mania, Real Food 101

©2012 Laurel of Leaves. All Rights Reserved.

Many of you out there in reader-land may have already heard of a brand new dairy product called “Amasai.” If not, keep reading, because this stuff will change your life. Health-conscious people are becoming rightfully more and more skeptical of the quality of the dairy in the local grocery (even organic!) – and with good reason. Amasai is in a completely different class.

While most states outlaw the sale of raw milk for human consumption, even with the research showing all of it’s amazing benefits, Amasai offers all of those same benefits and more, without the harmful effects of high-temperature pasteurization and homogenization.

Amasai is named after the African Masai tribe – renowned for their health, longevity, and utter dietary dependence on beef and dairy (excuse the pun, I couldn’t help it) – whose old-world style of culturing is used to produce this amazing beverage. Yes, Amasai is “pasteurized,” but rather than the super-high heat flash-pasteurization that denatures all of the beneficial proteins and enzymes – causing them to become carcinogenic and toxic – Amasai is slow pasteurized and is never heated above the cow’s own body temperature. This leaves it chock-full of terrific protein and enzymes that aid in digestion.

Amasai is also cultured with over 30 strains of probiotics, which add nutrients, promote digestive tract health, and provide enzymes to break down the milk itself. One reason that this is so important is that humans do not make the enzyme necessary to break down lactose! That’s right, technically all of us are “lactose intolerant,” though we may not have the severe outward manifestations that others have. The probiotic strains cultured with Amasai, however, do provide this enzyme (called lactase), which enables us to digest the milk with ease.

Another feature that sets Amasai apart is that the breed of cow chosen for milking does not produce the same allergy-causing protein (A1 beta-casein) that causes most of milk allergies. Many people who are allergic to milk are mistakenly labeled “lactose intolerant” when it is actually an allergy to this protein which is at fault. These last two facts alone mean that the dairy in Amasai is safe and beneficial for essentially everyone to consume - even those who know that they are lactose-intolerant or allergic to milk!

Not only is this product superior for the reasons listed above, but the company that produces it – Beyond Organic – sees to it that the cows are treated well. They have standards that are far beyond what even the majority of organic farmers do. The cows are only pasture grazed on non-chemically treated pastures their entire lives – never fed grain, never given hormones, antibiotics, or other medications. They are raised using Biblical standards and only milked when healthy.

Amasai tastes fantastic (similar to a kefir or yogurt) and comes in three different flavors: Original, Milk-and-Honey, and Raspberry. It’s hard to believe that there can be so much nutritional benefit in one delicious drink: a tremendous source of protein and beneficial enzymes, a source of good fats with healthy omega-ratio, essential amino acids, minerals, and probiotics.

I’m delighted that I was invited to write this guest-post for Laurel of Leaves, and I highly encourage you to check out more of the great products from Beyond Organic on her website. (Click here to visit the Beyond Organic site!) There you’ll be able to purchase Amasai as well as raw cheese, superior Green-Fed beef, and more. I recommend watching the informational video on the “Products” page for a more in-depth look at the other products.

So long, and until next time, I wish you blessings and good health!

Have you tried Amasai yet or any of the other Beyond Organic products? 

This post is linked to Simple Lives Thursday

©2012 Laurel of Leaves. All Rights Reserved.

SOPA stands for the Stop Online Piracy Act. That was the House’s version. The Senate has it’s own take on the matter and they call it the Protect IP Act (PIPA). PIPA basically gives the government the authority to block people’s access to any site that a corporation doesn’t like. It allows corporations and the government the authority to censor websites and cut off advertising and payments if they deem necessary.

For example, in an effort to block movie piracy and illegal downloading of music, the record label or film company can sue any website where piracy is taking place (YouTube anyone? Facebook?) It would also mean any individual can face a 4 year prison sentence for posting music to their blog. (Um, excuse me?!?!)

Now hear me out. I don’t support media piracy. I don’t think it’s worth it to sell your character for the few bucks the music or movie costs. But these bills have far reaching effects that will give the government and big corporations way too much power. And do you really think this will stop hackers? (Let’s all say it together . . . no.)

Check out this video that explains it all in simple layman terms and graphic representations:

SOPA Strike: Laurel of Leaves is Joining

So here’s the deal, peeps. Starting at 8am eastern (7am central) TOMORROW, January 18, 2012, this site will be joining thousands of others in a blackout protest against the SOPA and PIPA bills. The strike will end at 8pm eastern (7pm central). That means no one will be able to access the content on this site for 12 hours.

In that time, there are tons of things YOU can do to make your voice heard:

1. If you are a blogger and want to join the strike, check out the JavaScript to make it happen or the WordPress plugin.
2. Tweet about this using the #SOPASTRIKE hashtag.
3. Link up to this page on your Facebook profile.
4. Contact your Congressmen and express your opposition to these bills.

Happy Striking!

What do you think of the SOPA & PIPA bills? Are you joining the strike?

©2012 Laurel of Leaves. All Rights Reserved.

These are the two MOST IMPORTANT food rules.

It all boils down to this.

Every single person in the world can start with these two rules as a basis for eating healthy.

1. Eat Real Food.

Here’s the thing. Way too much of what we call food and insert into our mouth to swallow isn’t actually food! It’s been mangled and processed in a lab or a factory to the point that you can’t even call it food anymore.

Sure, you can debate the finer points of this argument until the cows come home. Is (fill in the blank) considered a real food because of (fill in the blank) or in spite of (fill in the blank)? What about (fill in the blank) or (fill in the blank again)? Those things aren’t technically (fill in the blankety blank). (What a fun game, don’t you think?!)

But for real, people. Get a grip. Use common sense.

You know what I mean. If you can make this one change for at least 75-80% of your diet, you’re light years ahead of the rest of the country who are falling for those badly disguised marketing tactics (Lucky Charms are healthy because they have whole grains? Fruity Pebbles are healthy because they have antioxidants? Are you freaking kidding me?)

Let’s look at another example or two:

• An apple = real food.
• Apple flavored fruit roll-up = not real food.

• An orange = real food.
• Packaged, pasteurized, sugar- and chemical-filled orange juice = not real food.

Another way to check for real food or fake is to read the ingredients list on any packaged food (do this for EVERYTHING you buy that comes in a package). If it contains more than 5 ingredients, it’s probably not real food. If you have trouble pronouncing one or more of the ingredients, it’s probably not real food. If you detect the presence of colors with numbers after them (blue-5, yellow-3), it’s not real food.

Stick to food that is as unadulterated as possible. Shop along the outside edges of the grocery store, not the aisles. Even better, find local farmers, farmer’s markets, or co-ops and support them. Your food will be even more real that way.

2. Listen to your body.

This is a huge one for me. I get so fed up hearing about the latest nutritional fad – even within the ‘real food’ world. Only eat fruit in the morning. Don’t combine this food with that. Don’t eat gluten, it’s from the devil. Figure out your metabolic type so you can eat the right foods. Get tested and eat right for your blood type.

I just don’t honestly believe that God meant for us to have to know our blood type in order to eat healthy.

photo credit: Kathleen

But before you say, “It worked for me!” Or “It worked for my aunt’s co-worker’s boyfriend!” Allow me to say this: Yes, these types of fad diets do work for some people. Why is that? Well, everyone’s body is different. And everyone has different issues that need to be worked out nutritionally.

It could also be that a specific fad diet worked for you simply because you started eating more real, whole, nutrient dense foods with the new diet as opposed to the fast food and packaged stuff you were eating before.

This is why it’s huge to listen to your body. Here’s a big tip: start a food journal. Grab a notebook and write down everything you eat in the day, what time of day you eat, how your body feels before, during, and after eating. Include any external factors like stress, exercise, what part of your menstrual cycle you’re in (provided you’re a female, of course), and if you’re traveling.

Start to notice patterns. If you realize that your stomach was queasy on the same days that you drank milk with your grilled cheese sandwich, try eliminating dairy from your diet for a week or two. Keep listening to your body. Are you still queasy? When do you have the most energy? Is there any correlation between your breakfast and your energy levels (or lack thereof) for the day? Your body will tell you what it needs if only you know how to listen.

Be aware that if you are switching from the SAD (Standard American Diet) to a diet of real food, you will most likely experience some withdrawal or detox symptoms. But don’t worry, they won’t last forever! Rome wasn’t built in a day, and sometimes you do have to get worse before you can get better. Detoxing isn’t always pretty, but it’s worth it. Once you start the process, you realize just how toxic you actually were. Note these things in your food journal.

Taking it Further

So I guess here is where I have to insert that cute little disclaimer that says I’m not a medical professional or licensed nutritionist, so take this post into consideration at your own risk. (Of course, I would even prefer you did that even with the advice of medical professionals, who are required to study little to no nutrition in med school).

But do realize that these two food rules are just a launching pad. It may be all you need to know. So don’t stress yourself out with the latest nutritional fad diet. Or you may still be dealing with symptoms that won’t go away or excess weight that won’t come off. Start by eating real food and listening to your body. Then branch out from there. Educate yourself on issues like gut health and balancing your hormones. Consider getting tested for food allergies by a holistic doctor.

But never leave these two food rules behind. I’m convinced they are the cornerstones for healthy eating.

What are your biggest recommendations or tips for eating well? 

This post is linked to Fat Tuesday

©2012 Laurel of Leaves. All Rights Reserved.