Lori, Author at Fake Food Free

I Have a Confession…

December 10, 2008

I like fruitcake.

Yes, those unwanted holiday bricks are welcome at my house. I will say that I don’t care for the store-bought version. It has to be homemade. The kind I make weeks before Christmas and baste with good ol’ KY bourbon.

I decided with all my travel that I would opt out of making a batch this year. Fortunately, I was thumbing through a cookbook by Ina Garten at the library and found an amazing recipe for Fruitcake Cookies. Just what I needed to satisfy my fruitcake craving without all the labor.

First let’s talk about the health of things. I just can’t pass up cookies during the holidays, but I do my best to make them with real ingredients skipping all the shortcuts and mixes.

I do have one bummer to report. These cookies call for candied cherries. Unfortunately, after label inspection I realized they were made with none other than high-fructose corn syrup. I wasn’t really surprised, it is everywhere. If you know of a brand without it let me know.

The recipe actually calls for sherry, but I substituted bourbon. You’ll need to start the night before to allow the fruit to marinate and then the dough will need a few hours in the fridge before slicing into cookies.

The combination of the smooth bourbon and spicy clove is perfect in these cookies. As my Dad said last night as he finished up a couple – they kind of melt in your mouth.

So don’t give up on fruitcake! You might just like it in the cookie form.

Fruitcake Cookies

Modified from Barefoot Contessa at Home

1 cup raisins
1 cup candied cherries, chopped
1 T honey
2 T Kentucky Bourbon (I used Jim Beam)
1 T lemon juice
¾ cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts and pecans)
2 sticks unsalted butter
½ t ground cloves
½ cup white sugar (or equivalent sweetener of your choice)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 ¾ cups flour

In a bowl combine raisins, cherries, honey, bourbon, lemon juice, nuts and a pinch of salt. Cover and allow to marinate overnight at room temp.

Cream butter, cloves and sugars until smooth. Mix in egg. Slowly add flour and ¼ t salt. Mix just until combined. Stir in fruit and nut mixture with liquid.

Divide dough in two and place each piece on wax paper. Roll into a log using the paper. Refrigerate several hours until firm.

Slice into ½ inch cookies and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.

And check this out. I took the cookies to the screened-in porch to get some natural light for the photo. Look who decided to hop up on a nearby ottoman so she could get a closer look.

Have you found any different recipes this year that you are going to try for Christmas?

I’m making a couple new things and couple standards. My husband is bringing back some goiaba (guava fruit) jam from Brazil for me so I’m going to spice up my ordinary thumb print cookies with that this year.

If You Are Ever in Lexington…

December 9, 2008

Yesterday I traveled back to Lexington, KY (where we lived before our move abroad) to take care of some business.

I really like Lexington and I thought I’d share with you some of food related experiences during my quick trip.

Downtown was decorated nicely for Christmas and my Dad and I met up with a friend at one of my favorite restaurants, Alfalfa. This place has been around forever, but just moved from UK’s campus to downtown a few years ago.

Why is it so cool? Well, it is like earthy health conscious meets comfort food. Yeah, that sums it up. I’ve never experienced another restaurant like it.

For lunch you can get anything from a meat loaf sandwich or chili and cornbread to an Indonesian tofu pita with peanut sauce. The variety is amazing! I settled on the Avocado Grill – mashed avocado, tomato and Swiss cheese on whole wheat bread. So tasty! I’m going to recreate it sometime.

Other highlights included a visit to Whole Foods. I’m not a regular shopper here, but love looking through the store for unique items. My hometown has only a few small health food stores which may be better to support, but also mean sky high prices. They even blow my views of Whole Foods being pricey out of the water.

So anyway, I finally got some affordable almond butter. I’ve had to hide it so I stop taking tastes! And believe it or not, I’m just getting around to trying Larabars. I picked up these two to take on an upcoming trip next week. I’ll let you know how they are. However, I don’t expect to be let down with all the rave reviews out there.

So if you ever find yourself in Lexington definitely swing downtown to Alfalfa and if you need some other suggestions for that area shoot me an email.

Poor Potatoes

December 8, 2008

High carb or not, I do love potatoes. I don’t eat them all the time, but sometimes the perfect dinner involves a baked potato topped with some healthy veggies and cheese. I also like hearty dishes this time of year such as Shepherd’s pie and a cauliflower soup I make that has a few potatoes in it.

I vary my tater intake – standard Idaho, red and sweet. I like them all.

I think most of us know that the best part about potatoes nutritionally is the potassium. I am always concerned with how I cook my vegetables and controlling the nutrients lost during the process, however, my concerns usually lie with my green veggies. I’ve never really thought about this regarding potatoes. I always cube them up to make them cook more quickly.

To my surprise, in October the USDA Food and Nutrition Research Briefs provided information on a recent finding regarding potassium loss when cooking potatoes. When cubed and boiled in water they lose as much as 75% of the mineral. Wow!

Potassium is important in regulating blood pressure. When balanced with sodium intake it can help to prevent and control hypertension.

In addition, for avid exercisers and athletes out there potassium is important because we lose it during muscle use and sweating. When potassium gets too low muscle cramping and cardiovascular complications can result.

If you need some more straight forward information about potassium check out this article from Colorado State Cooperative Extension. Gotta love Extension – I worked for them for three years. Lots of quality, accurate health/nutrition info can be found from the organization.

The best way to save potassium is to cook your potatoes whole and then cube them up or scrape them out for use in your recipes. Losing 75% of any important nutrient is huge. It is a good reminder that real food is good for us, but we still need to pay attention to preparation. Sometimes even when we think we are choosing a healthy option we have to look more closely at what our cooking might be doing to our nutrient-dense foods.

Are you a tater fan? How do you usually prepare them?

Photo by Gracey, www.morguefile.com

Links to a Healthy Weekend!

December 6, 2008

I hope this first weekend in December finds you well. I am doing the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell walk this morning with my mom and sister-in-law. I am looking forward to it, but definitely think warm thoughts for me!! I will be bundled up for sure.

Here are some of my favorites from this past week!

I just found Mindy’s Mouthful last week and I love it already. She is focused on the Christmas Markets in Strasbourg, France and all the wonderful foods. I have a travel goal to make it to a European Christmas market at some point in my life. Her pictures and highlights are beautiful!

Good Things Catered posted some amazing looking cookies this week. I love the combination of cranberry and orange and I can’t wait to give these a try.

Live Well 360 is doing a 30 days of oatmeal challenge. I thought the Key Lime Pie oatmeal was really original. I’d skip the stevia, but everything else sounds like a tasty combination.

Back in Skinny Jeans had a great post this week about magazine articles and covers. She made some fun and much better suggestions for titles. Some magazines need to get with the times regarding health, wellness and inner beauty.

10% Off at You Bar

December 5, 2008

I just wanted to share this good news for anyone who didn’t catch up on the comments. Ava, the co-founder of You Bar, is offering a 10% discount to Fake Food Free readers on orders until January 1st. Just put “Fake Food Free” in the coupon code.

I think it is great news and hopefully it will make them a little more affordable for those who couldn’t swing the original price. Also, if you are worried about not liking your creative selection no need to be concerned. They will remake the order and ship them for free if you are not satisfied.

In the comments Ava shared a little about the company. She started it with her son when they were looking for a bar without milk proteins due to an allergy.

Just go to www.youbars.com if you’d like to take advantage of the discount. Be sure to stop back by and let us know how you liked them. I’d also love to know more about the total ingredient list. You know me and bars and limiting the processed foods.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Design Your Own Bars

December 5, 2008

I came across the coolest thing in one of my magazines the other day. Did you know you can design your own nutrition/energy bars?

First, before I explain I have to say that, no, I have not ordered any so I can’t vouch for anything, but the idea was so cool I just had to share.

You Bar allows you to build your own bar. You pick the ingredients and even the packaging. How cool is that? There are many organic ingredients to choose from and even agave nectar or honey can be used for sweeteners.

I thought these ingredients sounded great (not necessarily together) – cashew butter, organic pumpkin seeds, organic cacao nibs and organic shredded coconut.

They’ll cost you $40 for a dozen according the article. Pricey, but what a fun gift. You can get gift certificates for people to build their own.

If nothing else, it is fun to look over the site and see all the cool combinations you could come up with. You’ll be able to see the nutrition info as you build it.

If anyone has tried this before or ends up doing so you have to let me know how they are!

Lighter Post Holiday Meals

December 4, 2008

Raise your hand if you are trying to eat a bit…well…lighter since Turkey Day. I’ve definitely had it on my mind. I think after the holidays and all that rich, heavy (although very good tasting) food, I am ready to get back on track with healthier foods.

I thought this was the perfect time to experiment with an idea I got when I was traveling in Ireland this past summer. Many of my lunches consisted of stopping by a Marks & Spencer (love that store!) and picking up a wrap and drink, then heading down to the water to eat. Such a bad dining atmosphere, I know.

I did this because it was less expensive; I could choose a healthier meal and after so much traveling around by yourself during the day asking for a table for one can get a bit old.

There was one particular wrap that was delicious – Mexican 3 Bean Wrap. It was lettuce, tomato, black bean salsa, cheese and chunks of sweet potato wrapped in a tortilla. The combination was surprisingly good.

I’ve been wanting to recreate it and finally decided to do so with my need for a lighter meal and left over sweet potatoes. After the potato, casserole and pie overload I’m limiting carbs a bit (at least until the Christmas cookies start coming around) so instead of eating it as a wrap, I turned it into a salad. I just added enough ingredients to make an individual meal.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Salad

Mixed greens
Black beans
Sweet potato, cubed and cooked (I like to boil them a bit to start the cooking process and then sauté to brown and caramelize the cubes)
Shredded cheese, I used an Italian blend
Salsa

So there you have it – veggies, protein, fiber and extra vitamins and minerals all in one tasty salad. Try it as a wrap too. It makes such a great lunch.

Snacking

December 3, 2008

One can find all kinds of information out there about snacking. There are a lot of different views on the practice. I have been through several phases in my life when it comes to snacking. I’ve grazed all day, had a structured diet for exercise where I had 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, and over time I’ve gotten to the point where I am at now. Snacking isn’t a huge part of my day anymore.

I think snacking has its purpose – it fulfills hunger between meals and keeps the body fueled throughout the day. For me, however, snacking often led to a lot of processed foods. I would make healthy choices, but there were usually crackers, a granola bar or a snack mix involved. I found that I felt I was doing the healthy thing fueling my body, but it was often adding unnecessary calories.

Recently the US Agricultural Research Service found that teens who snacked came closer to meeting recommended food group servings, but also took in excess sugar and fat. I think I fell into that category too.

Now I just treat snacking differently. I might snack, but I only do it when I’m truly hungry. Being involved in fitness I often followed the mini-meal/between meal snack regimen to keep my energy up. This works for some people. But I’ve moved to a place in my life and health where I just can’t see eating if you are not hungry.

Despite having healthy intentions, snacking to fuel when I wasn’t hungry was teaching me to eat when I didn’t feel hunger. I don’t like doing that anymore.

I definitely still have snacks throughout the day. When I put in a hard workout my stomach is always growling between meals. At these times I remember to steer clear of a box. Fruit and nuts have become my snack of choice and often I need about two bites to actually satisfy hunger. It is just another step in my journey to eat real food and to eat it mindfully.

Are you a snacker? How do you feel about the practice of snacking?

Photo by Kevin Rosseel, www.morguefile.com

#3 Brigadeiro

December 2, 2008

When it comes to food combinations is there anything better than chocolate and caramel? Well, okay, there are a ton of good combos, but this one is in the top five for me.

Last week I needed to do a test run of some of my upcoming holiday treats so I set out to make Brigadeiros. This food came in as # 3 on my 30 Foods List and it’s also a cultural lesson on Brazil foods. I haven’t featured a Brazilian food in a while.

I’ve found Brigadeiro everywhere I’ve been in Brazil. They love it. You can find it as the candy itself, cake flavors, ice cream bars and packaged cookies.

This candy could not be easier to make. The star ingredient is sweetened condensed milk. I know, not so healthy. I remember only using SCM for one thing growing up – fudge. Other than that we rarely purchased it.

Where I live in Brazil it is used to make almost every dessert. Oh, and they drink it too. It’s mixed into cocktails and sometimes they even drink it straight. This is certainly not a practice I’m getting into. Honestly, the cocktails make me gag.

But every once in a while you find a great thing made with the ever popular SCM that is worth the not-so-healthy status. Brigadeiro is one of those things.

Brigadeiro

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp butter, plus extra when rolling balls
2 Tbsp cocoa
½ cup chocolate sprinkles

Heat sweetened condensed milk and butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly. You have to continue this process until the milk turns into a thick carame- like substance. It is ready when you stir and can start seeing the bottom of the pan. It takes about 15 minutes.

Once thickened remove from heat and add 2 heaping Tbsp of cocoa powder. Stir to combine. Put mixture into a bowl to cool. Once cool roll into balls. You’ll need to keep your hands buttered for this to keep the brigadeiro from sticking. Roll the balls in chocolate sprinkles and put in mini-liners. The recipe makes about 25.

A Tasty Tea

December 1, 2008

Happy December! I can’t believe the last month of 2008 is here. It doesn’t seem possible. I am glad to see it though. December is always filled with so much excitement for the holidays and thoughtful reflection regarding the past year.

I will start this post by saying I am coffee-crazy. I love coffee of all kinds. As you can imagine this interest has grown even more with moving to Brazil. Now I can purchase coffee that is grown right outside of the town we live in. It is so cool to buy local with coffee. Something I could never do in the US for sure.

But let me get to my point. This post is about tea this time around, not coffee.

Aside from growing up on sweet tea I’ve never been a regular tea drinker, although, my interest in hot tea has grown in recent years. In grad school I did a research review of green tea. The health benefits are quite amazing. However, I will say I was a bit discouraged to learn that these major benefits come from amounts that would be equivalent to about 12 cups of tea a day.

Of course, this is the reason that they decided to conveniently put the extract into a capsule. As you probably know by now, I am not in favor of getting from a pill what I can get from food and drink whether it is in higher doses or not.

My thinking is even if you don’t consume the amounts which research indicates is necessary, habitually taking in something that is good for us will add up over time. This is how I feel about tea.

My husband went to Beijing for work a few years ago and found their green tea to be amazing. The variety he brought back with him is definitely the best I have had. Now I find myself exploring the tea aisle for different varieties of both green and black tea.

Tea is one of those – “Well duh,” – drinks for me. You know, the kind of food or drink that has been used in cultures throughout history with proven health benefits. Then the rest of us finally catch on that it might be a healthy thing to incorporate into our diets.

Thanks to the catechin polyphenols in green tea, specifically the unpronounceable epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), tea gives us antioxidants that are thought to have the power to kill cancer cells. It is also quite handy for decreasing cholesterol and reducing risk of heart attack.

I enjoy green tea, but I like black tea too. I’m glad that more research is going into black tea. So far we know it has many of the same benefits as green tea, it just has a slightly lower antioxidant level. So don’t be concerned if black tea is your drink of choice.

So speaking of tea I wanted to tell you about this awesome variety I found at my grocery store since I’ve been back in the US. Celestial Seasonings Sweet Coconut Thai Chai. Have you seen it or tried it?

I couldn’t pass it up simply due to the name and I wasn’t disappointed. As the hot water combines with the tea you can smell the sweet aroma of coconut. I loved the spicy aftertaste of black pepper too. It is such a unique combination.

So now I’m a coffee drinker in the morning and a tea drinker at night.

How about you are you a coffee drinker, a tea drinker or both like me?