Dear readers,
I apologize for my long blogging hiatus. It has been quite the whirlwind of a summer. The season hit and with all the soiree’s and stress of changes I put on about 10 lbs. Hopped across the pond to France, ate my way through it. Came back and lost most of the weight with body shocking. I basically ran my ass off then ate nothing but mostly raw vegetables. On a timetable to train for my marathon. Most people don’t understand what this mean. Training days sometimes I’m delirious and just plum fresh out of energy for anything more than zoning in front of the tube. The culmination of trying to drop serious lbs while trying to run miles is one I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. Been teetering at the same lbs for a few weeks now and its time to kick it into gear. But oh wait I’m unemployed now did I tell you? Yeah if you haven’t heard the latest gossip. I have decided to venture into a new chapter of my life and hope that I come out victorious. So there poses the question, being healthy costs money. So how does one do it without breaking the bank. While I wish I was more extreme couponing savvay, I’m also content doing it in other ways. Bottom line is if you want to invest into yourself and he healthy you have to take the time and effort.
1. 1. Eat what’s in season
Eating whats in season is way cheaper then trying to eat it later when you crave it. Summer is the best time for all this “in season” stuff. When things are in season they are cheaper of course. And they taste better as well. So its only logical to do so. Venetians have been doing this for centuries. So you wonder why Italians eat so well. I hope to go to Italy someday when their avocados are in season. A few examples of in season summer goodies are cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, avocados, basil, berries and most fruits.
2. 2. Eat what’s on sale
I was at a natural food store and wasn’t looking for olive oil but wandered into that aisle. It’s a good thing I did. I saw cold pressed organic olive oil on sale. Usually 15 bucks a bottle on sale for half. So I bought 3. When at the store it’s a good idea to look around to other aisles even if your not looking to buy those items. Sometimes the sale is worth the effort.
3. 3. Cook in bulk and freeze
I eat a lot of the time for sustenance. Not for culinary pleasure. There’s no point in that when I’m eating alone at home. So I cook in bulk, I section it out and freeze it. If you do this with several different dishes then you can have your pick each night. Its like having a microwave dinner from Marie calendars.
4. 4. Use healthy fillers
While a lot of people will fill their plate with rice, or pasta, try healthier alternatives that are just as cheap. Beans, lentils, quinoa pastas and brown rice are good examples.
5. 5. Shop at farmers markets.
So this is where the time investment statement comes in. not only is eating in season key, but doing it at a farmers market. It can be a time consuming process since their busy and early morning type places to venture to. But it’s worth it if you want to get the best bang for your buck.
6. 6. Learn to make things
Not just cook, but to make things. Such as gone are the days I’ll be buying 15 bucks a lb for sprouted almonds. Gawd I miss those. Their amazing and buttery. But the next best thing is to buy regular raw almonds and sprout them yourself. The process is long and boring. Literally like watching grass grow. However the benefits are deliciousness.
7 7. Don’t skimp because your weak minded
By all means you could be broke as a joke (take it from me). But skimping isn’t really the answer. Eating less would be. Eating more frequently, definitely . but if you skimp your just causing dissatisfaction in yourself and therefore unhappiness. I find myself using the best ingredients but less of it. Becoming more satisfied and happy. The mental motivation is nothing to take lightly. All of what we do takes mental satisfaction and if we don’t get that we are killing ourselves. Don’t be weak minded it’s not an attractive quality. If you think that getting fit doesn’t require 150% total mental focus…then you’re an idiot and should get off this blog immediately. You’re not just a robot on the treadmill, each step is to attain a goal to achieve great success whether it’s a hot body to pick up hot girls or a healthy heart to play with your kids. If you don’t have what it takes mentally you will fail eventually.
8. 8. Don’t buy organic
Do buy “All natural.” Small and local famers sometimes cannot afford the expensive “organic” patent that is put on their labels. Therefore they opt to put “all natural.” So essentially it is organic. This allows the price of their items to be cheaper while you get the same value as the FDA approved “organic.
9. 9. Do Trader Joes
While I usually don’t like to name drop, TJ is a name I’d drop any day. Unlike their big brother whole foods, Trader Joe’s may not have the plethora of selections. However they do have the essentials. I’d go to WF and get two heads of cauliflower and a bar of chocolate. My tab was about 18 bucks. I nearly died. At TJ’s I’d shop my heart out and for about 3 bags of stuff would run me about 35 bucks. And there is always the tasting stand with coffee that’s always got something yummy waiting for me faithfully.
10. 10. Good storage
A lot of complaints I hear are “my food goes bad too easily.” This is due to a few things. First off, poor planning. Don’t buy more then you know you can eat. That’s just poor judgment. Don’t buy a shit ton of broccoli if you know you can’t cook it in time. What I normally do is either cook it right away. Or I let it sit for a few days and if I don’t feel like eating it. Cook it anyways and freeze it. The second thing is to know how long of a shelf life an item has. Carrots if kept dry and cold will last a hellova long time. Tomatoes too. Other things like basil wilt within the day or so. Spinach maybe 3 days. Just think, the harder the item the longer it takes to break down. The fragile the item the faster it falls apart. Thirdly. Check your fridge and make sure its cooling at the right temp. too cold and it’ll frost bite your food. Too warm and it’ll let bacteria brew and overtake your goodies. The right temp will allow your cooked foods to store for a week or two. No joke.
11. 11. One last thing
10 is a great number to stop at but I remembered one more thing. Store foods in places your dog can’t jump up and eat them.
So I'm bored and restless...what do I end up doing? Well bake of course. I also discovered that my oven is 25 degrees off... always a good idea to have a oven thermometer if you at all serious about baking. I don't actually own one I sorta guessed since my cookies were turning into scones.
So in the mood for simple easy but tasty I opted to make Gluten free, sugar free, dairy free Organic Red Velvet cupcakes. whew what a title eh?
As always I spotted this recipe from babycakes cookbook and made it better.
Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes
History lesson: so back in the days when bonnets were worn and cocoa powder was still all natural, it would react with the acid in the buttermilk and baking soda by turning a reddish brown color. So precolonial dubbed it "Red Velvet." Historically red velvet was appreciated for its bland flavor, being used as a vehicle for frosting which traditionally is cream cheese.
You'll be happy to know I fixed this problem to make the cake more moist with a bit of a unique kicking flavor.
Ingredients:
1 cup rice milk
4 tbs apple cider vinegar
3 1/4 cup whole or white spelt flour
1/3 cup unsweetned cocoa powder
1 tbs plus 1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2/3 cup medium heal melted cocoanut oil
1 1/4 cup agave nectar
2 tbs pure vanilla extract
5 tbs of natural red food coloring or as needed to achieve color depth.
Frosting:
8oz (one packet) cream cheese
1 cup agave nectar
1/2 stick butter softened
Directions: preheat oven 325f
Mix milk with apple cider don't stir let it sit to develop into buttermilk
in a mixing bowl add all dry ingredients to sift
then add wet ingredients. spoon in all of buttermilk
mix in well.
pour into cupcake tins and bake for 14 mins. rotate on rack and bake for another 10
in another bowl mix together frosting ingredients. for added lightness grab some egg whites and beat them in a separate bowl until you reach soft peaks. gently fold into the cream cheese mixture.
let your cakes dry, frost and enjoy.
