Homemade Halloween

What to do if you dislike store-bought costumes that contain a bunch of plastic and other chemicals and undoubtedly pollute the earth just by being created, worn, and disposed of?

How about if you have zero sewing experience or skills?

Well, you could do like I did and use a mix of enormous stitches, fabric glue, materials already owned, and store-bought fabric.  Also mix in some good humor and understanding that the costumes will not look even remotely close to store bought “quality.”

This is how I made mine and my daughter’s costume.  A BEEEE and and Carrot. 

I decided immediately that I would be a vegetable since my venue was our local Farmer’s Market.  As  a volunteer at the kids’ education/craft table, myself and the other vendors dressed up in the spirit of the season and because it was the 3rd anniversary of the market.  It was a festive occasion indeed, with live music, more than ever vendors, trick or treating for the kiddos (after about 80 of them stopped by my table to decorate their bags), balloon animals, yummy food, etc.

The Bee is basically a “pillow case” dress design but even more simple and (of course), enormous stitching on the seems and hems.  You can’t see them here, but there are grey felt wings glued to her back.

For the carrot, I folded over and stitched the top and used fabric glue to “hem” the bottom parts.  I wrapped it around me like a towel and added velcro to the back to keep it on.  As you can see, pipe cleaners rounded out our headwear. 

As one little boy told me about my costume, “You can tell the costume is homemade because the greens don’t match.”  Yep.  But, I’m cool with that :)

100% “Green”??  No, because I’m pretty sure the glue and its packaging and maybe the pipe cleaners, felt, and dyed fabric are not neutral in their production and consumption.  But, I think I achieved my goal of reducing my imprint.

Pumpkin Blondies

Wanting to make something with pumpkin and the white beans that cooked overnight in the crockpot, I found and modified a recipe that uses both.

This makes a large batch (~45) and could easily be halved.

I used a large blender to make the batter.  First, I pulsed oats to make the oat flour.  Then, I added everything else to make the batter.  Afterward, I spread the batter in lightly oiled glass pans and cooked for about 20 minutes on 350.  The result was a dense, chewy bar that reminded me of pumpkin pie.

Here are the ingredients:

1 cup oat flour

2 cups pumpkin puree

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 medium bananas

1 cup sugar (can use any kind you want)

4 cups white beans

1 tbsp vinegar

3 tbsp vanilla

1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp salt

----Oh, and of course you could add in any number of things to suit your tastes- like chocolate chips, carob chips, white chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, seeds, etc.

To serve these, I might drizzle the top with melted white chocolate.

Cut into about 45 squares (2x2), each one has about 50 calories.

So, that means they are low cal, fat free, and (hello!) vegan.  Not to mention having vitamin A, potassium, fiber, and protein.

Yuummmmm!

Sweet Potato Butter

You’ve heard of Apple Butter.  You may have heard of Pumpkin Butter…. But Sweet Potato Butter??  Maybe.

Last year, *our* farmer grew vast quantities of pumpkins and offered them at a discount for the adventurous.  I bought tons and, with the help of my mother, baked them and froze bags of pumpkin puree and homemade pumpkin butter.

Well, this year, he planted more sweet potatoes instead of pumpkins.  OK by me since this is my favorite fall vegetable.  Therefore, I decided that I would attempt a sweet potato butter for freezer storage.

Conclusions: Yummy!!  And, sooo much easier and quicker than pumpkin butter.

Basically, the fact that sweet potato puree is more dense, sweeter, and without stringy-ness makes it a much better base for a “butter”.  Or, even a pie (which I will be doing as well)- in my opinion.

I looked up recipes online for inspiration and then ad-libbed my own method.  There is really a lot of freedom with something like this and the possibilities are basically endless.

It went something like this:

-- Put peeled, soft sweet potatoes* into a large crockpot.  Use stick blender to mash/puree- adding water as needed.

-- Add:

- Lemon Juice (I used about 1 1/2 tbsp)

- Cinnamon (2 tbsp?)

- Ground Cloves (about 2 tsp)

- Real Maple Syrup (2 tbsp)

- Sugar (2 tbsp)

-- Cook in covered crockpot on high for about 1 hour to soften all chunks and meld.

-- Take lid off and cook on low for a few hours until at desired consistency.  I cooked mine like this for about 2.5 hours and it was thick and spreadable.

-- Portion into freezer containers (e.g. bags, jars, molds, plastic bowls, etc.)  I used recycled plastic peanut butter jars so that they can go easily between the freezer and fridge and be ready for serving when thawed.

I plan to serve it in/on oatmeal, yogurt, toast, bagels, muffins, pancakes.  I will also use it to bake with (perfect for quick breads, muffins, pancakes, cookie bars, brownies, bread pudding, rice pudding, and spice cakes).  On 2 cup jar can also serve as a base for a “pumpkin” pie (just add: ginger, nutmeg, and evaporated milk).

 

Feeling Better

It has been a few days since my last (tortured) post.  Getting back to the gym and taking a long walk on Friday morning seemed to have helped my overall outlook.  I also think it helped me to talk about it- with husband and on this blog.

I’ll be the first to admit: I have issues with food and exercise.  But, my goal is just to keep it moderate and healthy.  I’m going to try to keep my focus on good health and building muscle (not numbers on the scale or minutes logged in cardio) AND of course, good nutrition/ healthy eating.

These are really long-term, lifestyle goals for me.

Since this blog was created out of my quest for total wellness and betterment, I might keep checking in and updating about it here.  I am pretty sure that the accountability of logging it here will help me stay on the healthy path (in addition to some of the other things I am doing like anxiety management- basically self administered cognitive behavioral therapy).

Hello again, my not so Secret

*Warning: stream of conscious rambling, maybe a little off-topic for this blog, and probably too honest*

At one point yesterday, I was thinking about how it had been awhile since I have posted anything here.  October has been a busy travel month for us and for someone who thrives on routine, it has really been messing with my willpower and motivation.  See, it is hard to get in my scheduled workouts and classes whenever I am in another town.

And whenever I am not exercising regularly, I am not feeling good about myself or outlook in general.

When I do things, I tend to go ‘all in’- for good or bad.

Examples of Good “all in”: Nursing for 13 months, buying locally and eating leafy greens every day, making my daughter’s baby food, being a weekly volunteer at our Farmers’ Market, exercising almost daily, recycling everything, homemade crackers, home-canned tomatoes.

Negative effects of said “all in” personality trait: feelings of having to be perfect (perfect mother, perfect house, perfect body, perfect hostess, perfect eater), high anxiety, low to questionable idea of self-worth, high self-consciousness, constant existentialist questioning, obsessive calorie counting.

Then last night: eating 3 brownies, the equivalent of 4 macadamia nut cookies basically straight from the tub in the freezer, and a little bit of pumpkin fudge- washed down with 2 cups of coffee.

                         WHAT?!

And all that was after I had worked out, eaten a healthy snack of yogurt, oatmeal, and pumpkin afterward, eaten a ridiculously healthy dinner of spinach, garbanzo beans, carrots, tomato, and balsamic vinegar (no oil even).

So what happened?  My sometimes compulsive unhealthy eating reared its ugly head is what.  This is not new but it is new that I am putting it out there for everyone who reads this to know.

Remember that “all in” personality?  Sometimes it comes out in the form of: obsessively healthy eating and exercising but then also compulsive eating of sweets.  Anything in the house is fair game when I have these weird moments: raisins, frozen desserts, chocolate bits, maybe a homemade chocolate coffee cup cake- who knows where this weirdness will go.

Thankfully it doesn’t happen often.  And you would never know by looking at me because I counter-balance it so well and diligently.

It happened last night and a little bit a few nights before.  It makes me feel horrible about myself, but even worse is that out of control feeling after a day of being so controlled.

This, amongst my strong desire to just be healthy and have a ‘normal’ relationship with body image, food, and exercise.

I have struggled with this in some form since I was 18 years old.  Maybe two people know.  Now, many more will.  I am hoping that putting it out there will help me feel less ashamed.  I am also hoping that doing something I have never done before (telling all), will help me.

Because, actually- I don’t know what to do.  What I do know though, is that it seems related to my anxiety/ stress levels.

And this, I think I need to work on.

But- how?  I am wondering, how can I find a little peace with myself?

I really have it good.  And I have it even better because I am only working part-time, which is suppose to decrease my stress levels.  And, it has- except now I feel this need to up the perfection factor to make up for the loss in half of my income potential. 

I don’t have answers right now.   I am just hoping the outlet and honesty might help me.

I’ll probably post more about this later.  To be continued….

Healthy and Yummy Vegetarian Diet Tips and Recipes

A friend of mine asked me to provide her with some information about healthy vegetarian eating.  I compiled the following to serve as a starting point for someone who desires to eat healthy and avoid meat.  These bits of information form the basis of my diet.  I found that whenever I omitted meat from my diet, I became a more resourceful and creative cook.  Natural, whole ingredients and foods as well as ancient common sense (now backed by science) form the basis and majority of our meals.  When I used specific sources, I either cited them or provided the links to the direct source.

Principle components of a healthy vegetarian diet:

• Whole Grain foods:
  • Brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat couscous, all other grains (e.g. bulgar, quinoa, barley, oats)
• Legumes:
  • Beans of all types (the best are lentils and black beans), peas, peanut
• Nuts/ Seeds:
  • All whole nuts and butters (tahini, peanut, almond, sunflower seed, etc.), Almond milk.
• Dairy:
  • milk, cheese, yogurt (greek yogurt has 2x the protein but the same no. of calories)
• Eggs (the most complete and perfect protein source that exists)
• Vegetables:
  • Particular emphasis on leafy greens and orange (e.g. pumpkin, squash, sweet potato, carrots); broccoli, tomatoes
• Fruits:
  • Apples, berries of all types, melons.
• Healthy Fats:
  • olive oil, avocado, nuts/seeds, eggs, flax seeds
• Supplements/Additions:
  • Flax seed meal (good source of Omega 3, which most diets are lacking in), brewers yeast (protein addition, adds completeness)

*Soy is optional but not necessary in a healthy vegetarian diet. Exercise caution.

Recipes and Sources:

Five different ways to prepare a complete protein meal centered around beans and rice:

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/rice-and-beans/

10 different easy-to-make vegetarian lunches with good protein content:

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-lunches/

Websites where meal plans can be generated based on individual calorie needs (and goals) and food preferences:

http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/planner/launchPage.aspx

www.sparkpeople.com

Excellent source of healthy vegan recipes; features a handy recipe search engine:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

Solid list of vegan, vegetarian, and healthy blogs with search engine:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2005/12/blogs-i-like-veg-blog-search.html

A blog written by a Registered Dietician; lots of good recipes (some vegetarian):

http://www.candidrd.com/

A search through Yahoo! Groups for Vegetarian Recipes:

-Must sign up to get a daily digest of recipes emailed.

http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=vegetarian

USDA Dietary Guidelines:

On page 16 of this study is an outline for the daily and weekly recommended intakes of all the different food groups in a healthy lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (page 17 outlines the diet for vegans). The chart is split into different calorie levels. Print it out and use it as a reference when planning meals for the day/week.

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/DGAC/Report/AppendixE-3-3-Vegetarian.pdf

Individual Protein Requirements/ Protein Complimentarity:

To determine the amount of protein needed for an adult each day, multiply weight x .28. For example, A 170lb person needs 47.6g of protein per day (170 x .28 = 47.6). Note: protein is only useable if it has been complimented by other sources. Complementary proteins may be eaten over the course of a day. The book, Recipes for a Small Planet (1973) by Ellen Buchman Ewald is a good source of specific information on this topic, as well as many protein and nutrient-rich vegetarian recipes. The key difference is that since this book as been published, it is now understood that complementary proteins do not need to be consumed at the same meal, but over the course of a day. Eating a daily diet of all sources of protein (nuts/seeds, legumes, wheat, and dairy) ensures this.

Examples of healthy and high-protein foods/ meal ideas:

Breakfast:

• Oatmeal with peanut butter, milk (or almond), and brewers yeast. Cinnamon and/or honey optional.
• Veggie omelet
• Whole wheat pancakes made with yogurt, cottage cheese and/or peanut butter
• Bulgar wheat cereal with milk and additions
• Yogurt with fruit and flax seed meal
• Whole grain muffin or breakfast bars (like pumpkin)
• Whole grain cereal and milk (or almond milk)

Snacks:

• Hummus and veggie
• Fruit and yogurt or add: plain oats, cereal, sunflower seeds
• Toast/whole wheat bagel with peanut butter and cinnamon
• Nuts and fresh or dried fruit
• Trail mix of nuts, cereal, raisins

Meals:

• Beans and rice (many varieties)
• Hummus and veggies and brown rice, pita, whole wheat couscous, quinoa, or whole wheat tortilla
• Soup made from beans, vegetable broth, and cut up vegetables (e.g. carrot and spinach). Add cooked barley or rice to increase available protein.
• Pasta with white beans, marinara (or diced tomatoes), and spinach
• Ethnic dishes (Indian food is very vegetarian friendly and uses grains and beans as base)
• Salad topped with veggies and cooked garbanzo beans

Many many other delicious recipes! See resources above, as well as cook books and millions of on-line recipes. 

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