What I've Been Loving Lately

Banana Ice Cream
Winter always seems to be a sad time for fruit. But bananas always are plentiful, and cheap! I've been loving freezing bananas in tupperware and keeping a ton in the freezer. When I want a sweet treat, I just throw a few in my blender with a tiny bit of water or almond milk and blend it up. It creates a sweet, creamy ice cream (without the dairy/fat!). I love topping my banana ice cream with some caco nibs or some peanut butter.

For the delicious bowl down below I took two bananas, a teaspoon of cocoa powder, and a splash of almond milk, blended it up and topped with caco nibs. Yum!





Brown RiceI've always loved rice, but recently rice has been a part of my daily food intake. Not only is it cheap and easy to make, but it's a great source of energy and whole grains. I usually either top a bowl of rice with a stew or chill, or some beans and guacamole.


Greens
Sometimes greens get forgotten about in my diet. It's not so much that I don't like them, I just always tend to forget about them or am just too lazy to deal with them. Recently, I've been making green smoothies, which have really helped me to up my green intake. Also, kale is abundant right now so it's hard to pass up a big bunch of kale!


Echinacea
With it being flu season, and cold outside I wanted to start taking some immune booster supplements. Although I'm not a big fan of supplementation, I do like to take herbal supplements that I can't get as easily from food. I love echinacea because it is fairly inexpensive and I really can feel a difference when I take it. I like to buy the Nature Made brand and take one in the morning with my breakfast.

Breaking Bad
I have been wanting to watch Breaking Bad for almost a year now, but because I can easily become addicted to shows and binge watch them, I knew I had to wait for a school break to start watching this one. I'm so glad I waited until Christmas break to watch it because I finished the entire series in about three weeks. It was an incredibly well made show and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I love and appreciate chemistry, so I loved all the chemical symbols in the credits, the lab experiments, and all the chemistry related solutions to problems that arose in the show.

What I Ate in A Day (Youtube videos)
Youtube is one place that I can easily spend hours watching different types of videos on. Lately, I've been watching "What I Ate in a Day" videos, where people document the food they ate throughout the day. It sounds boring, but for a foodie like me, it's my favorite way to conclude my day. I love to see what people eat, and how they prepare it, especially all the vegans on youtube that make these videos. I get so much inspiration by watching what other vegans eat.

here are some of my favorites!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdAa3mSRIyE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwWdPtzy058
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPQd6BxuTC4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz2VdaJvkVI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RodkyIpOT4


Vitamix
I could probably make an entire blog post dedicated to my beautiful vitamix. For the past three years I've wanted a vitamix, but have just never put a huge effort in getting one. After using one over the summer during Natural Chef school, I knew that a vitamix would be one of my most used cooking tools for a long long time. My amazing grandparents gave me a Certified Reconditioned Standard Vitamix in black...it was love at first sight. For the past month or so I've probably used it at least once a day, if not more. From smoothies, to banana ice cream, to hummus, to soup the vitamix does it all. This blender is by far the best one I've ever used, I definitely recommend this to anyone looking to invest in a practical and effective kitchen tool.

Elevate
Elevate is an app that I got about three weeks ago, and have been using almost everyday. It is designed to help "train" your mind, and help improve focus, speaking abilities, processing speed, memory, and math skills. Each day, you get three "games" that are quick and fun. The more you play, the more it adapts to your skill level. I know that I need to be keeping my mind sharp, and this app has definitely made it a lot easier to do that.

Flossing/Baking Soda
One of my goals for this year is to floss more, and keep better care of my teeth. Although I brush my teeth twice a day, I always feel like there is more I should be doing. Usually I forget to floss, but I'm making a conscious effort to floss every night after I brush my teeth. It makes me feel like I'm doing something to help keep me from going toothless in about 70 years! I've also been brushing with baking soda after my toothpaste. I really feel like this helps to whiten my teeth without putting a ton of chemicals on them. I simply rinse after brushing my teeth with toothpaste, then dip my toothbrush in baking soda and lightly brush with the baking soda for about a minute and then rinse again. It's a super cheap, and easy way I like to brighten up my teeth.

My Favorite: Documentaries

I have always loved a good documentary, and over the past several years I've found myself watching  variety of different types. From food to serial killers, becoming a part of a journey or situation that is different than my own is so fascinating to learn about. I really wanted to share my favorite documentaries that I've discovered over the past several years, and highly recommend for you to watch! Most of these can be found on Netflix, or streamed online so go check them out!

Forks Over Knives
   Forks Over Knives is by far my favorite food-related documentary, it basically changed my life. This documentary is based off The China Study, which is one of the most comprehensive nutrition-related studies that has ever been doneIt was initiated by Dr. Colin Campbell which is one of my favorite doctors/researchers. All of his work is so powerful and in-depth, and I highly respect everything he does. Forks Over Knives not only shows how a plant-based diet is the most beneficial diet, but it proves how powerful eating plant-based is. This documentary is very easy to understand, and it shows both the science part, as well as the impact the study had on individuals.


Farmageddon
    This is one of the first food documentaries I ever watched, and it really opened my eyes to how the USDA/ government doesn't necessarily put our best interest ahead of theirs. Farmageddon really shows how small farmers are effected by large government corporations. Also, it portrays the little freedom we really have to what we choose to consume.

         







 
GMOOMG

    There was a screening for this documentary at my school this Fall, and I jumped at the opportunity to go watch it. I love learning about how our food industry is changing, and this documentary does an excellent job at showing the effect of GMO on the food we eat and the lives we live. GMOOMG has a very non-biased approach to the effects of GMO, and I really appreciate that. Not only does this documentary show research, but it shows the personal effects of GMO production which I think is very important. I think that you can stream this documentary online, or purchase it to watch. I highly recommend either option, because this documentary is very informative, and really allows you to form an educated opinion about the effects of GMO.


Blackfish
    I think that most people have seen this documentary, it is fairly well known. If you haven't seen it, you definitely should. Blackfish is well made, and so intriguing. I think that it is very eye-opening to things that go on "behind the scenes" in large corporations. This is a pretty controversial documentary, some people may say that it is biased, but regardless I think that it brings attention to an important problem amongst our society. Using animals as a form of entertainment, and removing them from their natural habitats just for human pleasure/making money is a problem that this documentary address that, which I think is important to become more educated and informed about.

Nursery University
    I love watching documentaries that I don't really know anything about, and this was one that I stumbled upon and ended up loving it. The pre-school system in New York City is something I know absolutely nothing about, so learning all about it through this documentary was so fascinating. Nursery University is so eye-opening, and about things I know nothing about so I found it so much more interesting. If you have kids, watching this documentary will probably make you very happy that you don't live in NYC. I really enjoy the transition between personal stories and research/information in this documentary. I think the balance between the two is excellent.

The Jeffrey Dahmer Files
    If you know me, you know that I have a weird fascination with crime, and law shows. I love learning about serial killers, and criminals because I think they fascinating people. Learning a little bit about why they did what they did, and how they did it is so interesting to me. There are lots of crime related documentaries on Netflix, but I stumbled upon this one and thought it sounded good so I watched it and ended up loving it. I love how it is made, using reenactment, real footage from the case, and interviews from witness/friends of Dahmer. I would definitely recommend this documentary to all my fellow crime-show lovers, it gives a very realistic depiction of real-life serial killers and not just unrealistic ones portrayed on Criminal Minds and Law and Order.





Tiny: A Story About Living Small
    This is another documentary that truly changed the way I thought about life. I began this documentary and basically watched it with my eyes and mouth wide open in pure fascination and intrigue. I had never even thought of the idea of "living small" until I watched this documentary, and I am so glad that I now know how easy it is to live small. I love the personal experience of a man building his own tiny house, I think it gives a very realistic approach to the subject matter and gives viewers a true insight into living small. Ever since I watched this documentary, I have began forming new goals and dreams that I have for myself. I have fallen in love with researching, and learning more about this interesting and practical lifestyle and hope to one day spend a period of my life "living small."

   

So now all you need to do is brew some tea, make some popcorn the "right" way (http://cookinglittle.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-right-way-to-make-popcorn.html ) and check out one (or all) of these awesome documentaries!

My Favorite: Teas

Tea is an amazing thing, especially when it starts getting cold outside. I love sipping tea while studying, or watching TV. It's a completely guilt-free drink with added health benefits that you can especially enjoy throughout the fall/winter seasons. I thought that since it is beginning to get pretty chilly outside, I would share with you my favorite teas and why they are so great.

It took me a while to really appreciate, and enjoy drinking green tea. Green tea is probably one of the best teas that you can drink, because of the beneficial antioxidants and compounds that it contains. It also alkalizes our bodies, which is really important when it comes to our digestion. Our stomachs want to have a pH of 7 (neutral), but certain foods (dairy, meat, sugar, corn, coffee, salt) can cause our pH to drop and become acidic. Drinking green tea can help to regulate our body's pH. After trying, and hating, many different types of green tea I finally found one that I loved. Bigelow's Green Tea with Lemon is by far my favorite type of green tea.  The lemon adds a hint of flavor that neutralizes the bitterness of the green tea. It's the perfect combination!


Chai tea is another one of my favorites, especially during the fall. I love adding a few drops of liquid Stevia to give it a hint of sweetness. My favorite type of chai tea is one that I just recently discovered at Trader Joe's, it's their Ruby Red Chai tea. This tea contains all organic warming spices, which are great for digestion, reducing inflammation, and boosting the immune system.


I didn't think that I would like hibiscus tea, but I surprisingly loved it! I tried this type by BADIA, and it is delicious. It has an interesting flavor, that is sweet yet slightly bitter. I love drinking it when I want something a little sweet, or fruity because it has both flavors that work so great together.

Earl Grey tea was one of the first types of tea I began drinking. It is such a great tea to start out with if you've never really drank hot tea before. It has a smooth and comforting taste to it, and it's great to have with breakfast if you're not really a coffee drinker. Again, early grey tea has a list of great health benefits such as immune support, oral health, digestion aid, and even stress relief. 



Chamomile tea is one of my favorite kinds of tea to drink right before going to bed, it's so soothing and comforting it usually helps me fall right to sleep. Bigelow makes a delicious Cozy Chamomile tea that is completely caffeine free and has a smooth and light taste to it, which makes it the perfect pre-bedtime drink, there is a reason it's called Cozy Chamomile. Not only does it help you go to sleep, but it also helps relieve stress, improve your immune system, and promotes good digestion. 

Things I Loved In August

August was a pretty eventful month....Natural Chef school ended, I moved into my first apartment, and I began my junior year of college. There were a lot of new things that I experienced this month and I can't wait to share them with you all!

Cacao Nibs

I had never tried cacao nibs until this past month, and I can't believe it's taken me so long to discover them! They are little vegan gluten-free delicious morsels that you can snack on by themselves, throw them into any cookie recipe, trail mix, bowl of cereal, or oatmeal. Cacao nibs are filled with energy and mood boosting compounds, and they even help to raise HDL ("good" cholesterol). If you love dark chocolate, then these are the perfect snack for you!

LARA bars

I mentioned these in my Back To School Snack Ideas post ( Check It Out Here ). LARA bars are one of my favorite snacks to pack no matter where I'm going. They are so delicious and one of the most "natural" energy bars I've been able to find. My favorite flavors are Apple Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, and Blueberry Muffin.




Sprouts

Another food item that I re-discovered this month was sprouts. I've always like them, but never really thought to always have them in my refrigerator until now. I'm so glad I have re-discovered my love for them! My favorite two are alfalfa sprouts, and clover sprouts. My favorite way to eat them is to put them on salads, or even take a rice cake, spread some hummus on it, and then top it with sprouts....so good!



Shredded Unsweetened Coconut

Coconut has never really been one of my favorite flavors, but for some reason this summer I've been eating a lot of it and have fallen in love with it! One of my favorite ways to eat it is in the shredded, unsweetened form. It's so great to put in desserts, throw into a trail mix or granola, or even mix it into oatmeal. Buying it in bulk is the cheapest way I've found to buy it. Also, it stores great in the freezer, so it'll never go bad!

Salads

With school starting back up this month, I've definitely rekindled my love for salads. Salads are so quick, simple, and delicious to make for dinner every night. With a little meal prep one night of the week, a meal worthy salad takes almost no time to throw together. What I've been doing is taking one evening to roast a bunch of sweet potatoes, and any other veggies (beets, broccoli, etc.), and make a big batch of quinoa. Once you have those made, a salad takes almost no time at all to whip together. Here's my go-to salad recipe of this past month:

bed of greens (usually spinach)
handful of sprouts
roasted sweet potatoes
1/2 cup quinoa
any other veggies I have on hand (carrots, broccoli, beets, celery, etc.)
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 avocado
1 tbsp. hummus
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
2 oz. tempeh (I just cut it into slices and sauté it in a pan for about five minutes)



Making To-Do Lists

I've always been a fairly organized person, but I also tend to be a procrastinator so making lists is essential for me to be as productive as possible. Especially now that school has started back up, making lists has really been helpful for me to see what needs to be done, and then actually a motivator to do it.




Nahko and Medicine for the People

I discovered this band a few weeks ago and can not stop listening to them. Their music is so beautiful and it is just "happy" music. Some of my favorite songs of theirs is Warrior People, Budding Trees, Aloha Ke Akua, Manifesto ll, and My Country. I think their message is so powerful and definitely recommend them to anyone who loves some good chill music.


Salt Lamp

At the end of July, I went to the Flea Market in Raleigh for the first time. There, I discovered the world of gems and crystals. There was a vendor there selling many different gemstones and crystals and I loved learning so much about the power they give to us. While talking to the owners, the salt lamps caught my attention, and I immediately knew I wanted one. I decided on one of the smaller lamps, and chose the one I felt drawn to. For the past month, I've been sleeping with it in my room and love the light it gives off and the benefits from it. Salt lamps help to reduce allergens and toxins in the air, and it also binds positive ions with negative ions in the air. Salt lamps can be bought online through Amazon or other websites.


Food Puns

While thinking of a cute T-shirt idea for Appalachian Student Dietetic Association (ASDA), a club that I'm apart of at school, I fell in love with food puns. I think they are the cutest things ever, and they all just make me so happy! I've been trying to come up with my own, as well as googling and pinteresting ideas.

My Refrigerator/Freezer Staples

There are several things that I almost always have in my fridge and freezer. It's important to find your own personal staples so that you are always prepared for when you're in a rush. Also, by having healthy staples in your house you won't be tempted by foods that may not be as nutritious.

What's Almost ALWAYS In My....

Refrigerator:

Unsweetened almond milk (Silk): Almond milk is a necessity in my opinion. Because I don't eat dairy, almond milk is my favorite milk alternative. I like to buy the Silk brand because it doesn't have carrageenan like the other brands (Almond Breeze) do. Carrageenan is a seaweed extract that can cause many digestive problems, so avoiding it is important. I use almond milk in almost everything; oatmeal, poured over frozen fruit, smoothies, and different desserts.







Leafy Greens: Greens are one of my favorite vegetables, and something I try to eat every day do keeping them in my fridge is a really great reminder for me to eat my daily greens! My favorites to have are spinach and kale because they go great with every dish, especially salads.



Raw Apple Cider Vinegar: ACV is the only non-acidic vinegar, which makes it a gentle vinegar on your digestive track. I love using raw ACV in everything, from salad dressing to drinking little sips of it every now and then. It's an amazing health booster to add to your diet, and having some in my refrigerator always reminds me to use a little everyday.






Tofu/Tempeh: Two of my favorite protein sources are organic tofu and tempeh. Both products are made from soybeans, and are good sources of plant based protein. Tempeh is my favorite because it is not as processed as tofu and it's fermented which makes digesting it a lot easier.





Hummus: Hummus is one of my favorite foods to have on hand because not only is a great source of fat, but it makes eating veggies even better. I wish I was cool enough to always make my own, but I usually just end up buying it which is fine, just make sure you're always reading that ingredient list! My favorites are roasted garlic and roasted red pepper, yum!

Raw Veggies: Just like leafy greens, veggies are another thing I make sure I eat daily. Having some sort of raw vegetable in the fridge always helps me to remember to eat them. Some that I always have on hand are carrots, celery and cucumbers.




Freezer:

Frozen fruit: To me, frozen fruit is one of the best things you can have in your freezer. Often times people don't buy fresh fruit because they're scared it's going to go bad, but if you buy it frozen then it'll never go bad!



Don't be scared of frozen fruit, just make sure there isn't any added sugar or preservatives (most frozen fruit doesn't). Often times frozen fruit has more nutrients than fresh fruit, because the fruit is picked and immediately frozen (which is preserving nutrients) unlike "fresh" fruit that is often times picked and then shipped thousands of miles to then sit on the grocery store shelve, allowing the amount of nutrients to decrease.


I could talk about frozen fruit all day, but it is definitely my most important staple item. Some of my favorite fruits to have on hand are blueberries, bananas (just freeze any bananas that are going bad), blackberries, and mango. Frozen fruit is very versatile, I use it as a key ingredient in smoothies, a great sweet treat to snack on, also I love pouring some almond milk over it and eating it like "cereal."

Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: I recently became obsessed with coconut, and love putting it in everything. It's such a good source of fat, and extremely delicious. I like to buy the unsweetened coconut shreds in bulk and just stick the bag in the freezer. I use it in oatmeal, over frozen fruit, in smoothies, and in many different desserts. It's also great to just snack on every now and then.



Flaxseeds: I honestly don't know what I would do without my flaxseeds. They are inexpensive, packed with fiber, omega-3s and can be used in almost everything. Also, they last for a very long time in the freezer, so you never have to worry about them going bad. I buy the milled flaxseeds, and love throwing them in oatmeal, smoothies, and any baked goods I may be making. They don't have a strong flavor, so they can really be used in anything! So instead of taking those stinky fish oil supplements, just throw some flaxseed in you morning cereal/oatmeal, or in a smoothie for some omega-3s!

Frozen peas: This is another food that I just couldn't live without. They are so delicious, and SO SO SO good for you! Frozen peas are pretty inexpensive, and they are a great source of iron and plant-based protein. Another reason why I love them is that they are very versatile; they can be steamed, roasted, thrown into salads, used as a base for a salad, and if you're super weird like me you can just snack on them frozen, right out of the bag!