Thursday, 2 September 2010
Okay, I'm back.....
So, my new plan is to deliver a vegan recipe for the entire family (i'll post it Saturday) so that on Monday you can cook a 'Meatless Monday' meal to your entire family. In theory, Meatless Mondays will have no meat for any of your meals but I trust you can do breakfast and lunch on your own. I hope to roll out this Meatless Monday concept all over the world! Think of what we could do!
Friday, 21 May 2010
Energy - how can you get more of it!!!!
Okay, so my last post was about coffee and why to get off it and stay away from it! This post is about energy and you can have it all day without feeling tired ever again! seriously.
It's all about the food you eat. I promise. Never in my life have I had so much energy now that I've switched from being pretty much vegetarian to a vegan. If you are a vegetarian, you can still eat dairy. In my view, dairy slows you down - the cheese, the yogurts, ice creams and milk. I've also noticed that the cookies that I've been making for the kids (which are vegan) they aren't as grumpy and actually are likable! So here are 2 recipes that are quick and easy.
Here's what I made up for lunch. Yes, I literally looked in my fridge and made this up based on what I had and it was yummy.
Serves 2:
Can of Mixed Beans - drained and rinsed
1/4 aubergine - 1 cm dice
1 green pepper - sliced into thin strips
4 vine tomatoes - quartered
4 spring onions - sliced
1/2 bag of watercress
1/2 bag of baby spinach
1/2 lemon
1 tblsp of omega3 or hemp oil
tsp of cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
3 tblsp. of cooking oil
Heat oil in pan and throw in aubergine, green pepper and cumin seeds - saute over medium heat and when the veggies are getting soft throw in the cayenne pepper. Once soft and slight brown on edges, turn heat off and throw in tomatoes and spring onions and cover with foil (not a lid)
Next, throw in spinach and watercress, juice of 1/2 lemon and omega-3/hemp oil all into magimix and whizz until it is practically a puree
Put beans in nice looking bowl and mix with the veggie mix and top with your greens puree. Promise, it is good.
Good snacks which give good energy to kids can be found in this recipe... and ALL FOUR of my kids loved them, so they must be decent. PS I made this yesterday starting at 4:30 and was finished by 5.... that's how quick it is.
1/2 cup of agave syrup
1/2 cup of rice syrup
2/3 cup of creamy or chunky peanut butter (try to get all natural from whole foods or waitrose)
1/2 cup corn oil
2 tblsp. nondairy milk ( rice, soya, oat....)
1 tblsp. ground flax seeds (whole foods carries this)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cups plain flour (if using gluten free flour add 3 tblsp to this)
3/4 cup wholewheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat over to 325 F or 175 C. Line baking sheets with parchment paper
in large bowl mix together all the ingredients above (in order as I listed them) stopping with the almond extract (yes, do add the almond extract and then stop). Sift in both flours, baking soda and salt and mix to a soft dough.
Drop large, generous tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Flatten the cookies to about 1 inch. Bake cookies for 12 - 14 minutes until the edges are golden. cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely and store in tightly covered container.
And that's that!
It's all about the food you eat. I promise. Never in my life have I had so much energy now that I've switched from being pretty much vegetarian to a vegan. If you are a vegetarian, you can still eat dairy. In my view, dairy slows you down - the cheese, the yogurts, ice creams and milk. I've also noticed that the cookies that I've been making for the kids (which are vegan) they aren't as grumpy and actually are likable! So here are 2 recipes that are quick and easy.
Here's what I made up for lunch. Yes, I literally looked in my fridge and made this up based on what I had and it was yummy.
Serves 2:
Can of Mixed Beans - drained and rinsed
1/4 aubergine - 1 cm dice
1 green pepper - sliced into thin strips
4 vine tomatoes - quartered
4 spring onions - sliced
1/2 bag of watercress
1/2 bag of baby spinach
1/2 lemon
1 tblsp of omega3 or hemp oil
tsp of cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
3 tblsp. of cooking oil
Heat oil in pan and throw in aubergine, green pepper and cumin seeds - saute over medium heat and when the veggies are getting soft throw in the cayenne pepper. Once soft and slight brown on edges, turn heat off and throw in tomatoes and spring onions and cover with foil (not a lid)
Next, throw in spinach and watercress, juice of 1/2 lemon and omega-3/hemp oil all into magimix and whizz until it is practically a puree
Put beans in nice looking bowl and mix with the veggie mix and top with your greens puree. Promise, it is good.
Good snacks which give good energy to kids can be found in this recipe... and ALL FOUR of my kids loved them, so they must be decent. PS I made this yesterday starting at 4:30 and was finished by 5.... that's how quick it is.
1/2 cup of agave syrup
1/2 cup of rice syrup
2/3 cup of creamy or chunky peanut butter (try to get all natural from whole foods or waitrose)
1/2 cup corn oil
2 tblsp. nondairy milk ( rice, soya, oat....)
1 tblsp. ground flax seeds (whole foods carries this)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cups plain flour (if using gluten free flour add 3 tblsp to this)
3/4 cup wholewheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat over to 325 F or 175 C. Line baking sheets with parchment paper
in large bowl mix together all the ingredients above (in order as I listed them) stopping with the almond extract (yes, do add the almond extract and then stop). Sift in both flours, baking soda and salt and mix to a soft dough.
Drop large, generous tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Flatten the cookies to about 1 inch. Bake cookies for 12 - 14 minutes until the edges are golden. cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely and store in tightly covered container.
And that's that!
Friday, 14 May 2010
Coffee - you think you need it.....
Because they tell you you need it to give you that wake up call in the morning... but really, aren't are kids already screaming in the morning your real wake up call? So why do you then need a second one, or a third, or fourth.. okay you get where I'm going with this.
I've been off caffeine now for 3 years and have never looked back. How did it do it? Well, I read and read and read and the thing that clinched it for me was this: Caffeine makes you more stressed and Tired!!!! And here are the facts:
A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry observed 1500 psychology students divided into 4 categories:
abstainers, low consumers (one cup a day), moderate ( 1 - 5 cups a day) and high (5 or more cups a day). On psychological testing, the moderate and hight consumers had higher levels of anxiety and depression and had a higher incidence of stress-related medical problems! And if that's not a enough.....Coffee is also bad for your heart. Just one morning cup of coffee dramatically hardens your arteries and is also now well known to increase homocysteine levels, one of the best predictors of heart attacks and strokes. If you want more proof that caffeine is bad for you, I have many more studies to share with you. And if you're thinking of going decaf, well don't - even more chemicals are used in manufacturing decaf coffee.
So, how do you get your energy throughout the day? Well, here's how I get mine and I tell you - I have more energy now than I've ever had before. I'm slightly hyper now!!!!
there are several things that I do, but here are 2 that really help:
Breakfast and Greens....
But not any old kind of breakfast, one that gives you energy!
Here's an example of a breakfast that I do: Wake up and have a mug of hot water and freshly squeezed lemons (brilliant for you!) then I put 3 tablespoons of porridge oats (or as they say in the States, good old Quaker Oats oatmeal) and pour boiling water over it to soften the flakes. Then, I add a handful of blueberries, 1/2 of a shredded apple, a tsp of desiccated coconut and a tablespoon of ground flaxseed. You can even sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on it too! And believe it or not, my kids love this too!
For lunch and dinner, I always add the following to whatever I'm eating. Just throw all this into your Magimix: 1/4 pack of Baby spinach, 1/4 pack of Watercress, good handful of fresh Basil and good handful of flat leaf parsley. Juice of 1/2 a lemon and a good tablespoon of Hemp Seed Oil or as it's sometimes called, Omega-3 oil. Whizz it all together until it is almost like a rough puree and add to anything and everything! I just had eggplant mousakka for lunch (without any dairy of course!) and just mixed that in with it... i've even been really bad and put it in my kids pasta with red sauce and they haven't noticed.... This way the spinach is never over cooked so doesn't loose it's antioxidants and all the good stuff.
I've been off caffeine now for 3 years and have never looked back. How did it do it? Well, I read and read and read and the thing that clinched it for me was this: Caffeine makes you more stressed and Tired!!!! And here are the facts:
A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry observed 1500 psychology students divided into 4 categories:
abstainers, low consumers (one cup a day), moderate ( 1 - 5 cups a day) and high (5 or more cups a day). On psychological testing, the moderate and hight consumers had higher levels of anxiety and depression and had a higher incidence of stress-related medical problems! And if that's not a enough.....Coffee is also bad for your heart. Just one morning cup of coffee dramatically hardens your arteries and is also now well known to increase homocysteine levels, one of the best predictors of heart attacks and strokes. If you want more proof that caffeine is bad for you, I have many more studies to share with you. And if you're thinking of going decaf, well don't - even more chemicals are used in manufacturing decaf coffee.
So, how do you get your energy throughout the day? Well, here's how I get mine and I tell you - I have more energy now than I've ever had before. I'm slightly hyper now!!!!
there are several things that I do, but here are 2 that really help:
Breakfast and Greens....
But not any old kind of breakfast, one that gives you energy!
Here's an example of a breakfast that I do: Wake up and have a mug of hot water and freshly squeezed lemons (brilliant for you!) then I put 3 tablespoons of porridge oats (or as they say in the States, good old Quaker Oats oatmeal) and pour boiling water over it to soften the flakes. Then, I add a handful of blueberries, 1/2 of a shredded apple, a tsp of desiccated coconut and a tablespoon of ground flaxseed. You can even sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on it too! And believe it or not, my kids love this too!
For lunch and dinner, I always add the following to whatever I'm eating. Just throw all this into your Magimix: 1/4 pack of Baby spinach, 1/4 pack of Watercress, good handful of fresh Basil and good handful of flat leaf parsley. Juice of 1/2 a lemon and a good tablespoon of Hemp Seed Oil or as it's sometimes called, Omega-3 oil. Whizz it all together until it is almost like a rough puree and add to anything and everything! I just had eggplant mousakka for lunch (without any dairy of course!) and just mixed that in with it... i've even been really bad and put it in my kids pasta with red sauce and they haven't noticed.... This way the spinach is never over cooked so doesn't loose it's antioxidants and all the good stuff.
Thursday, 13 May 2010
My First Training Session!
So, I did it. I went to my first training session, sort of.... I'm not yet certified as a Hot Power Yoga teacher, BUT..... the studio where I hope to be teaching is very interested in having me teach there, so they are doing something really cool. Basically, 1 hour every 2 weeks I go to the studio and we work on 'being a teacher'. So, for the first session - I had to get up and teach for 3 minutes while being filmed! A) I was freaking out B) I've never taught before, so I was like all over the place with my downward dogs - I think I did like 3 in a row once b/c I couldn't think of anything else to do! I was telling the 'pretend' students to exhale when they should have been inhaling! And then they actually pushed rewind and made me watch it back. OMG! I really need some training and thank God I'm getting it! But it was really great b/c the feedback was constructive in the processes. First, I had to say what I felt, then I had to say what I heard, then if it was real and then if it was clear. So, let me spell it out for you:
FEEL, HEAR, REAL, CLEAR. The other 3 teachers (who were actually real teachers) had to do the same thing - ie how did they feel when I was teaching, what did they hear me say, was I being real and was I clear in my instructions. So it wasn't about giving advice it was really constructive feedback! I sucked at it, but I learned and took notes. So I'm back there in 2 weeks and will of course post how it all goes......
But today, I went to Whole Foods on Ken High Street to really get myself into the veganism of it all. I could seriously work there, or better yet please can I live there! 2 hours felt like 10 minutes. I needed the entire day! I got so many lovely vegan things for me and my kids that I came home (after the zillion school runs and drop offs to activities and then pick ups and then back home) and started to cook supper. (PS - As you know I am a mom of 4, but I don't have any help of any kind. And I'm not trying to sound like, 'wow, look at me, I do it all by myself!' no, that's not it - I basically lost my nanny at Christmas and my cleaner and that is the worst time to try and hire, so I had to do it myself and actually found that I preferred it that way! But more on that choice later!) So, where was I ... yes cooking vegan for my kids. Well, I just made it up and it was GOOD! So good that my 3, 5, 9 and 11 year old ate every bite! So, here is the made up recipe:
Magimix 2 courgettes and 2 carrots and one onion very finely (I do this b/c then my kids eat and don't know that it's actually courgettes and carrots and onions!) Add to large saute pan and cook until a bit soft. Then add 1/2 cup pearl barley and slowly add in vegetable stock (mix 1 liter of hot water with 4 tsp of Bouillon low salt powder) Pour the stock in like you would with a risotto - about 20 minutes into it add the Quorn Chicken pieces (obviously not chicken!) and then cook on low heat for another 15 minutes. Add some sea salt and voila! Once the stock has pretty much all been absorbed you are done. It looks and tastes just like a very veggie/chicken risotto! Then i went really nuts and made Banana Oatmeal Cookies for Breakfast! No dairy, no sugar and no gluten! They are yummy!!!!! If anyone wants this recipe, let me know and I'll post it. But I gave my kids a nibble tonight and they couldn't wait to wake up and have them for breakfast.
So, i'm now about to take a bath but here was a recap of my day....
Wake up and get kids ready for school. Take the 3 boys to 2 different schools while daughter takes train to school. Head off to my pottery class until noon and then live and breathe in Whole Foods for 2 hours, pick up boys from school, take to activities, pick up again and bring home. Listen to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant while making supper and sipping cup of liquorice and cinnamon tea... yum! Get boys in bath - read stories while older 2 are doing homework, then make breakfast cookies, clean kitchen, start my second blog. Phew! Another good day.
FEEL, HEAR, REAL, CLEAR. The other 3 teachers (who were actually real teachers) had to do the same thing - ie how did they feel when I was teaching, what did they hear me say, was I being real and was I clear in my instructions. So it wasn't about giving advice it was really constructive feedback! I sucked at it, but I learned and took notes. So I'm back there in 2 weeks and will of course post how it all goes......
But today, I went to Whole Foods on Ken High Street to really get myself into the veganism of it all. I could seriously work there, or better yet please can I live there! 2 hours felt like 10 minutes. I needed the entire day! I got so many lovely vegan things for me and my kids that I came home (after the zillion school runs and drop offs to activities and then pick ups and then back home) and started to cook supper. (PS - As you know I am a mom of 4, but I don't have any help of any kind. And I'm not trying to sound like, 'wow, look at me, I do it all by myself!' no, that's not it - I basically lost my nanny at Christmas and my cleaner and that is the worst time to try and hire, so I had to do it myself and actually found that I preferred it that way! But more on that choice later!) So, where was I ... yes cooking vegan for my kids. Well, I just made it up and it was GOOD! So good that my 3, 5, 9 and 11 year old ate every bite! So, here is the made up recipe:
Magimix 2 courgettes and 2 carrots and one onion very finely (I do this b/c then my kids eat and don't know that it's actually courgettes and carrots and onions!) Add to large saute pan and cook until a bit soft. Then add 1/2 cup pearl barley and slowly add in vegetable stock (mix 1 liter of hot water with 4 tsp of Bouillon low salt powder) Pour the stock in like you would with a risotto - about 20 minutes into it add the Quorn Chicken pieces (obviously not chicken!) and then cook on low heat for another 15 minutes. Add some sea salt and voila! Once the stock has pretty much all been absorbed you are done. It looks and tastes just like a very veggie/chicken risotto! Then i went really nuts and made Banana Oatmeal Cookies for Breakfast! No dairy, no sugar and no gluten! They are yummy!!!!! If anyone wants this recipe, let me know and I'll post it. But I gave my kids a nibble tonight and they couldn't wait to wake up and have them for breakfast.
So, i'm now about to take a bath but here was a recap of my day....
Wake up and get kids ready for school. Take the 3 boys to 2 different schools while daughter takes train to school. Head off to my pottery class until noon and then live and breathe in Whole Foods for 2 hours, pick up boys from school, take to activities, pick up again and bring home. Listen to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant while making supper and sipping cup of liquorice and cinnamon tea... yum! Get boys in bath - read stories while older 2 are doing homework, then make breakfast cookies, clean kitchen, start my second blog. Phew! Another good day.
Monday, 10 May 2010
My First Post
So, here I am - 38 year old mother of Four kids ages 11, 9, 5 and 3. American I am...from Chicago but living in London. It is crazy to say the least. I've been in the media world since graduating from college, but now it is time for me and something that I am so passionate about.
I'm starting a journey of becoming a vegan, I guess. And definitely a yogi fanatic. Trying to get my kids to go towards veganism... is that even a word? So, I've signed up for countless plant based nutrition classes, whole food cooking, macrobiotic cooking and some retreat in Belgium called ievolve and I'm not sure what that means or what I'm going to evolve into! Then it's off to New York for a hot power yoga teacher training where rumor has it that you work your butt off from 7am to midnight....!!!!....!!!!
So, I guess, this is just some sort of documentation of my journey and if and how and when my kids like what I'm cooking for them (I think that's the scariest thing of all!) I have horrible nightmare of my children being on billboards with milk moustaches now as backlash towards my veganism. Can just picture it now - a poster of all Four on a billboard on a Big Red Bus in London smiling or really glaring at me while they drink their milk.....
I'm starting a journey of becoming a vegan, I guess. And definitely a yogi fanatic. Trying to get my kids to go towards veganism... is that even a word? So, I've signed up for countless plant based nutrition classes, whole food cooking, macrobiotic cooking and some retreat in Belgium called ievolve and I'm not sure what that means or what I'm going to evolve into! Then it's off to New York for a hot power yoga teacher training where rumor has it that you work your butt off from 7am to midnight....!!!!....!!!!
So, I guess, this is just some sort of documentation of my journey and if and how and when my kids like what I'm cooking for them (I think that's the scariest thing of all!) I have horrible nightmare of my children being on billboards with milk moustaches now as backlash towards my veganism. Can just picture it now - a poster of all Four on a billboard on a Big Red Bus in London smiling or really glaring at me while they drink their milk.....
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