Love dont bug me

So this isn't exactly an ode to Valentines week although it sure does look like it. Flowers to me on valentines day is about as romantic and relevant as the Easter bunny representing Jesus on Easter. I'd much rather prefer a sonnet that includes how St. Sebastian died a martyr due to arrows shot in the heart ;) Now that's romantic!!!

I just really think this "Love bug" is super cute and super easy to do. This is a good way to learn how to temper chocolate as to move on to more complex recipes dealing with tempering chocolate in the future. It's relativly easy to do however if don't improperly the chocolate will be dull looking and oily to the touch. High quality chocolate will have a nice glossy look to it.

First step is quality fruit. Its winter time and its hard to find really good strawberries. The best bet would be farmers markets. The best strawberries I've ever had came from this guy's trunk. I know that sounds strange but he would go down to Gilroy early every morning, pick strawberries in, bring them back to Cupertino and sell it out of his trunk. Nothing beats buying food when its in season.

Next temper chocolate and dip just the tip of the strawberry in. For chocolate I really like Scharffen Berger his chocolates are extremely high quality. It's expensive but this recipe doesnt call for too much, one bar would suffice. For tempering techiniques refer to: Temper

give them time to cool and set, notice the shine, its glossy not dull and greasy like a teenage forehead, its more like the glow of a post facial. Place the chopping board in the freezer and let's make some buggy dots! Use the same ziploc to drop little dots all over the tops of the strawberries, except for the heads, of course.

The antennae are totally optional, and I'm not going to lie to you, they can be a pain in the gluteus maximus. If you want to make them, check if your melted chocolate needs a few more seconds in the microwave to soften it up. Mine did. Then transfer it to a small ziploc and cut a small tip off one of the corners. You can print out my antennae pattern if you would like to use it, then tape it to a chopping board and tape a piece of wax paper on top of the pattern paper. When you're ready, use your chocolate-loaded ziploc bag to trace the little swirly antennae.

flatten the dots

print out signs and tape em to tooth picks

Refrigerate for till the chocolate sets. If you live in Eureka just open a window, same effect.

A nice little row of bug minions, coming to steal your heart!

Oh yeah I used white chocolate for the face. although I hate white chocolate because it really isn't chocolate at all. its a sham and I have no idea where it came from, but if i didn't need it for decoration I'd tell it go to back cuz it tastes nasty!

Ricotta Cream Cheese Dark Choclate Brownies Part Deux

Did you know that brownies are truly and American design. Much like corn dogs, chili, and hamburgers?

I was craving these bad boys once again, so had to make them. Plus when I'm not feeling at my best. I bake. It soothes my soul. I play some romantic Spanish music, dim the lights and beat away. I know they look like the last ones I made. But these are new and improved so I wanted to share it with you. *transmitting one bite to you*...no? Didn't work? Oh well.

I decided I wanted chocolatetier, darker, richer, fruitier cakeier brownies. But surprise, they aren't sweet like sugar they are a respectable contribution to fine pastry.

Here's what I did differently:

For the brownie batter-

• I used Bob's Redmill brownie mix. I modified the from the instructions on the bag. (no need to fuss over the 20 ingredients that go into anything gluten free=)
• I added a generous dusting of dutch process cocoa
  
• 2 eggs not 1
• 3 teaspoons of vanilla not 2
• Ghirardelli chocolate chips (they won't harden, but rather stay gooey)

For the Cheesecake batter-

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 or 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 evaporated cane juice (the ricotta cuts the sugary taste, if you like to have a sweet taste add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• beat rigorously until its aerated like pancake batter

Bake for about 40-45 mins at 350F. When a toothpick can come out easily take out to cool. It should be very slightly undercooked. this way it will continue to slightly cook while its cool. After its cool cut and leave on a plate without covering. It will continue to dry out overnight leaving it moist but not wet. It will hold up better when given time to cool. I find that when its warm and slightly undercooked it is fantastic with a scoop of organic Humboldt creamery vanilla bean ice cream.

Note that I said "fruiter" but I added no fruits. This is because by birth right, the cacao is a fruit. So the darker the chocolate the more you taste its fruit tang. I also decided to cut the cream cheese with ricotta. This is slightly less fattening. Ricotta is light,fluffy and is so versatile. It's a very mild cheese, but with a bit of a tang. Just this side of being salty. It's like creamy cottage cheese with character and tang. A touch of fluer de sel (delicate french sea salt) could help bring out the sweet. But that's up to you. I like eating grapefruits with sea salt. I was just brought up that way. It really does make fruit sweeter. Don't know it till you try it.


Whatever was bothering me before...doesn't matter, all is right in the world when I've accomplished what is to me, the perfect healthy brownie!

Gluten free shopping guide & A recipe for a "Beet-ting" Heart

Here’s a tip for Gluten free shopping. If you are really interested in gluten free products, sometimes it can feel like a maze! Then when you find it, which brand is best? Let’s face it, not all gluten free pasta is created equal. Luckily if your smart you’ve been reading my blog and as a reward I will tell you now some tips of the trade.

Whole foods, Trader Joe’s, Wildberries, Eureka Nautral foods, The Co-op, and many well run, organized natural food store have one thing in common, they are great! But their gluten free projects are scattered across the store. I wish I could just shop from the “Gluten free” aisle. They have the next best thing, if you go to the customer service desk; you can ask them to print you a list of products that are gf! No kidding! “You mean customer service has more uses then just filing complaints and ordering up more tp in the bathroom?” Yes ma’am the ones at TJ’s are really nice and helpful and the list will save you from having to scrutinize over the ingredient labels.

Going to the supermarket shouldn’t be stressful and overwhelming. It should be enjoyable and therapeutic. Cooking is the same way! Time in the kitchen is like going to the beach. I can never have a bad day if I’m at the beach. I might come out upset angry at something, but once my toes sink into the warm sand; I know all is right in the world again. So turn on some music, roll up your sleeves, take in a deep breath and give it a go!

Heres a whimsical recipe that’s simple, requires no heat and will definitely put a smile on any face

Heart Shaped Beets, Goat Cheese and Chive Mousse and Pistachio Dust : j

“Beet”ing Hearts Salad

with Goat Cheese & Chive Mousse and Pistachio Dust

Source: Jasmol Sardana

Ingredients:

Fresh or pickled beets (if using fresh beets they need to be boiled and peeled and then seasoned with salt and pepper – I used good quality picked beets)

Goat Cheese (or chèvre if you want a lighter flavor)

Chives (I have only discovered chives recently. And man these babies are amazing, they pack a beautiful flavor that’s delicate yet powerful to the pallet. It glams any dish up instantly! you can find them in the herb section next to basil)

Sea Salt

White Pepper

Pistachios (unsalted, california is one of the largest growers of pistachios in the world!)

Steps:

1.Beets – cut using a heart shaped cookie cutter and set aside.

2.In a separate bowl combine, goat cheese, chives salt and white pepper and chives.

3.Using a coffee grinder (after its been cleaned out very well) grind pistachios into a superfine dust

4.Place one slice of beet on place, spoon or pipe goat cheese mousse on top, layer with another beet slice .. so on until you have 4 – 5 layers

5.Scatter plate with microgreens if using and sprinkle with pistachio dust.

This makes a great appetizer or brunch item, eat it with toasted Ezekiel bread. Now if you are trying to lose weight, save this one for a Sunday morning brunch treat you share with friends and family. This way you’ll eat less while socializing during your meal. It’s all about community and less about volume of consumption.

Now if you’re on detox, Cheese is very fatty so instead substitute it with a white bean puree. It won’t have the same feeling but you gotta do what you ya gotta do! I know that making sacrifices suck but at the end of the day when I can run 3 miles with enthusiasm and fit into my skinny jeans, I know it’s all been worth it.

White bean puree:

Boil white beans, drain toss into blender to puree. Add in the ingredients as if it were the cheese. Splash in some olive oil. Or for a very classy touch, a splash truffle oil.

Eggsperimenting with hearts

As a science teacher I once did a whole serious of lessons on egg-speriments in biology. They are versatile and best of all cheap to do. But this is a Japanese shape molding technique I spotted and I love, love all things hearts therefore I had to try this. Best of all its edible. Eggs are great nutrition, but always try to eat it a little bit on the runny side. over cooking will zap out the nutrition. When cooking things such as veggies, the min it leaves the vine, it starts to lose nutrition. The more you cook it the less nutrition it will have, giving you less impact. An onion eaten at its raw state has 5 times more vitamins then a grilled onion.

You will need two rubber bands, the thick ones won't break as easily, a chop stick or a bundle of skewers. and a milk carton, juice carton or poster paper. (washed, dried and cut).

Boil an egg, while the the egg white is still warm place it into the center of the carton. place the chopstick on the center of the egg and tie it all together with the two rubber bands.

Make sure the egg is warm and fresh, don't over boil otherwise the egg may break under pressure. Note that if your chopstick isn't round you'll have a weird indent rather then a nice round dent in your egg.

you really want to see the chopstick digging into the egg, and leave for 10 mins while the egg cools. If its summer time you could put the egg in the fridge. Take the egg out and cut in half.

Its already cute as a whole egg, you can stick candied letters on it to form "I love you" or...

You can also cut the egg in half to expose the yolk. sprinkle some paprika on it for a red flair.

Serve atop a salad or as part of your breakfast and enjoy your romantic meal!

When purchasing eggs, find out of there's a local farmer. You'll be surprised. You might find on cragislist some house mom with 5 chickens. She'll realize how much eggs a few chickens lay and decide its time to share the wealth, either for a low price or sometimes for free. Farm fresh eggs are amazing, and if you've never had one I feel sorry for you. I'm hooked on them.

Why farm fresh?

Consider this: Most large scale farms begin by feeding the chickens grains full of pesticides, then they keep the chickens close together. often times they peck at each other so badly their beaks are gone, or their eyes are poked out. they step on their own poo and eat each others broken egg yolk. Then they get infections so their loaded with antibiotics. Have you ever read up on antibiotic resistance in humans? its frightening. Then these festive birds lay an egg offspring, of which is collected, sold and consumed by you.

Now all this can be perhaps put into perspective this way: pregger moms are told not to smoke, drink or do meth? why? because it will effect their offspring. I'm not comparing a bird to a person but its the same with flowers, if you give a seed good dirt it will make beautiful flowers. We can't all be a lotus.

I don't mean to frighten you but rather, I'm just sharing with you what I've seen first hand. I use to raise chickens with my dad, and I know that chickens are dumb, their behavior isn't pretty. They fight for food and chase after you if you don't give them enough feed. But I only had a dozen so we could tend to them closely and we'd know when one was sick. I just can't imagine a large scale farmer sweet talking to his thousand chickens to ease their pain. I understand that not all farmers are evil, its the price they pay for money. But you can save yourself and take your money to invest in a local farmer. Maybe they don't name their chickens like I did, but surely if they could, they would.

Stop lying FDA, your not anyone fooling on Organic Vs. All natural

Have you ever seen the “All Natural” advertisement on the labels of small California food companies such Santa Cruz Bread Company or Humboldt bay fog Cheese Company? I will explain why it says that. Right now the FDA has a hold on the organic patent. It is the fastest growing sector of the food industry in America. Therefore the FDA will charge a bundle for a company to be able to put the word “organic” on the products. In the past the FDA tries to loosen the restrictions on what could pass as organic. Organic Farmers and various organizations raised hell and the FDA backed off and stopped the back door deals. Therefore smaller vendors will put “All Natural” instead. This also indicates that they are using high quality material. At the very least by checking the ingredients to see if they are using chemical preserves. This does not guarantee that the ingredients itself are organic. But in my personal opinion, many of them will because small farms and food companies believe in health and do it not for the sake of money. In fact the "Organic patent is expensive and often small farmers can't afford to pay for it. therefore since the FDA does not have a hold on "All natural" its the second best choice. So the next time you see “All Natural on the label looks into it. Chances are its good stuff.

While we’re off the topic of recipes, I’d like to share with you some feelings. Mainly, because I think if you can relate to this, you need to clear your mind and hit restart. Stop making excuses and just do it! I use to say, I’m not a runner, I have flat feet, I have small lungs, short legs, bad back, creaky knees. I use to say, “ I’m not a runner I’m a swimmer, I’m muscular I can’t be skinny.” --all these things are poison to the mind. Truth is, you can be anything you want. Whoever invented the idea that if you do something you have to do it well, is on crack! Or what is that new thing? Sevilla? Haha. Remember I was the fatty that ran 15 min miles. Check me out now with my 10 min miles baby!

I feel like I’ve somewhat earned the right to talk about what you ought to do, or ought not to do. I think more than anything it’s annoying, I mean vexing to my soul to listen to someone say, “I eat healthy” or the classic “I eat relatively healthy.” Yet still are a 200lb fatty. I’m not knocking fat people. I’m knocking fat people who think they are “healthy” or “fit.” Bottom line is, if you are healthy and fit, you would be thinner. Body types very, given. But BMI’s don’t lie. Chant with me now B-M-I’s-do-not-lie!

So dear fat lady who likes to sit in the sauna and bug me while I’m sweating my butt off. Please stop telling me how you eat “relatively healthy” but you’re not sure why you can’t get leaner. I’m not a cold and heartless but any advice I give you is countered with, “well that’s just not for me.” Because woman, health is for EVERYONE!

Me: try running

Her: I’m not a runner, I lift

Me: (rolls eyes) eat less

Her: I don’t know I must be special because I’ll eat but I get hungry so fast.

Me: don’t eat carbs

Her: oh I eat lots of fruit

Me: (getting angry) stop eating after 6

Her: I don’t like feeling hungry

Me. (breathing is labored) try chugging water, protein shake or (in my mind, suck it up).

Her: It must be water retention

Me: (I’m screaming at her in my head) eat veggies

Her: I like meat

Me: (#$%$^&*%&%^**%$^%!!) Um I gotta go! Um…you..good..luck..yeah…ok bye!!!

BOTTOM LINE, EAT HEALTHY YOU WILL LOSE FAT. HEALTH=LESS FAT. NO FAT=SKINNY. SKINNY=GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE. I really don’t know how many more ways I need to say this.

Oh and p.s. there is “relatively healthy vs healthy” you can’t eat a mc’d cheese burger and spinach salad. Just doesn’t work that way. You can’t eat gluten free by load it up with butter. Use your head. In college I remember girls obsessively eating salad dressed with a lb of ranch and they complained their pants were getting tight.

If there’s anything I learned from this is this: Just be who you are and do it with love. Do not deceive others, in the end you are only convincing yourself. It has taken me a long time to realize that I was lying to myself. It took me a long time to realize I was unhealthy and that I wasn’t just “big boned.” My ass was lumpy and the weight of my bones had nothing to do with that.

Midnight munchies

Some have asked me, what do I snack on? I use to snack on Oreo, bite size snicker bars, Cheetos, chips. You get the picture. I can’t afford to do that anymore. My body would freak out. I still crave them at times, its hard to reprogram 27 years of bad habits. However I have found contentment with new snacks that I feel happy and good eating. I can eat these things, still lose weight and feel great. So will I ever go back? Maybe on the next blue moon. For now I am quite happy with my snacks. Not to mention they are amazingly good. You know me, I only eat the good stuff. Believe me—that was not always my thought process. in the past I Subconsciously thought I didn't deserve the best. I think I felt like I would be mocked for being excessive or “an un-savvay” shopper. My sister and law would say: “a cucumber at the Asian market is 3 for a dollar, but a cucumber at whole foods is 1.50 each! That’s not smart Linda.” I can’t say for those of you with families but as for me who eats for one. Three cucumbers are a lot and go bad before I can eat them anyways. So…I’m pretty content with my expensive pesticide free cucumber that I will eat before it goes bad. So to you who want to look down on me I’m going to say, “don’t hate participate.”

My doctor once said to me, “its not a matter of how healthy you want be, it’s a matter of how much do you want to invest into it.” This has resonated ever since and I stopped scrutinizing all the money I’ve poured into all of this. The irony is, when you eat well, you eat less and therefore my food has lasted just as long. While I use to eat a whole bag of chips at a time. I now only eat a handful so my bag will last for weeks!

All things are organic and mostly gluten free of course so let’s just always assume that from now on, I won’t have to repeat myself. Also when you buy items such as crackers, chips or broth stock you want to always make sure that they are low sodium. It might take a bit for your body to get use to. Once you do, you will realize you don’t thirst as much and your body won’t retain as much water. Over consumption of sodium as been linked to many serious diseases related to the heart and even diabetes. Too much sodium doesn’t allow the pancreas to digest the sugar well. Everything is connected. And in for you think sugar is addictive, salt is also a hidden addiction. Time to face all your addictive demons!

So what’s in my healthy snack pantry. Lets see…

Sprouted raw Almonds. these babies are the best! You'll notice the lighter color and the plumper look then regular almonds. There's a buttery salty/sweet taste to them and they have a crispy crunch to too!

Dark Chocolate covered almonds: So far only found in Eureka, these aren't your standard candies. they are made with spouted almonds, but the chocolate is so high quality it as a fruity taste to it too. at 15 bucks a lb for these items, they are completely worth it!

Hummus: Not all hummus is created equal. Trader Joe's has a good verity, but this one is found in the Eureka Co-op. Its hard to find hummus that is creamy and full of flavor without being tart. I can't stand tart course flat tasting hummus. the kick from the jalepenos make this a perfect super bowl snack. What to eat it with? well that comes next

Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips: its a chip and a cracker is its slogan. You might notice on the bag it says "all natural" then you turn over and you can read that its made with Stone ground corn, high oleic sunflower oil/safflower oil, evaporated cane juice, garlic, onion, poppy seeds, sea salt and caraway seeds. YUM

did I mention that sweet potato is considered a super food that ranks above spinach? Yes! its extremely healthy. But it has a higher carb count and therefore needs to be eaten in moderation. I love this chip, and be careful people have been known to chow down whole bags at a time. Avoid doing this because its low in sodium but enough of it, well, makes it high in sodium hehe.

Rye crackers: Although wheat products reign supreme on the shelves of supermarkets in the United States, foods made from whole rye are worth looking for, not only for their rich, hearty taste, but for their numerous health benefits. Like most grains, rye is available throughout the year.

Rye is a good source of fiber, which is especially important in the United States, since most Americans do not get enough fiber in their diets. Rye fiber is richly endowed with non-cellulose polysaccharides, which have exceptionally high water-binding capacity and quickly give a feeling a fullness and satiety, making rye bread a real help for anyone trying to lose weight.

Cinnamon: speaking of metabolize-rs, this is also another one you can add to your morning protein shake, don't be stingy really shake it in there. Other metabolize-rs are Apple cider vinegar, celery,

top 10 metabolizers (according to fitness for life):

1. Water-stimulates your digestion without any Cals. "one diet water please!"

2. Green tea-antioxidants and natural caffeine

3. Soup-it takes less "food" to fill you up

4. grapefruit- if your on meds ask your Doc before eating since it can have adverse reaction.

5. apples- has healthy amount of caffeine.

6. Broccoli

7. Low-fat Greek Yogurt

8. Lean turkey

9. oatmeal

10. Hot peppers- Capsicum (a chemical found in jalapeno and cayenne peppers) temporarily stimulates your body to release more stress hormones, which speeds up your metabolism and causes you to burn more calories.

So these are all just general ideas of what I eat. Mostly I stick to fresh foods such as carrots, cherry tomatoes, home made guacamole etc. the closer you are to raw the better. think of it this way. your snacking and your feeding your body with nutrients. which in my books is far more satisfying then a salty chemically made Cheeto =)

And as always here's a recipe I spotted, modified it and made it better!

Sweet Pita Pizza

Ingredients: Items in this recipe were purchased at Trader Joe’s

Whole wheat or gluten free pita bread

Goat milk brie

Dried Bing cherries

Dried Hibiscus flower

Pistachios lightly salted

Fig spread

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Spread the brie on the pita. Spread the fig spread on the brie, coarsely crop dried fruit and flower and add on top. Finish with pistachios. Pop all this in the oven until the brie is melted, and all the toppings come together. cut and serve.

The taste is phenomenal, the soft tender pita with the saltines of the creamy brie and the sweetness of the fig spread. The dried items are tart and the pistachio adds a light hint of perfumed nut. This is my Sunday brunch treat with friends. Treat yourself to this and you can thank me later.