2014 One Word... ACTION!

One Word. This year, instead of a New Year's resolution, try picking just one word to be your focus for the entire year. Last year, my word was Nourish. It was a great word for me, and I definitely did Nourish the year.

But one thing I have discovered about myself, is that I need to do a better job of following through. I talk the talk, but need to walk the walk a little better. I have ideas, dreams and plans, but seem to always save them for another day.  In November, I saw a fun opportunity to apply for a contest with The Chew and Weight Watchers. It required making a video of myself cooking (and the like). I enlisted friends, and made it happen. I never heard back from the contest, but I had so much fun making the video, and actually following through on my announcement that I was going to do it, that it seemed I found my One Word... ACTION. It's time to turn my thoughts into Actions.

We also have to be realistic. It's not possible to act on every thought. But, it is possible to write down, and track these thoughts. So, I've created a journal, to start writing down my ideas, and plans and tick off things as I do them.  Still, there has to be a little more focus, and that is where my one word sign comes into play.  Take a look:

A: The A is made of a tennis shoe string. This symbolizes my want to continue my journey it competing in triathlons. Currently I'm already registered for the Lake Minnetonka Tri in June, but my goals are lofty. I'm turning 40 in 2014, so my big goal is an Olympic Distance Tri. I think I have one picked out!!

C: The C is made of Coins (Pennies). I admit, I'm bad with money. This is the year I take control. Be more responsible.

T: The T is made of yellow lentils (Yellow split peas). Simply, a reminder to eat more plant based. There are no goals here, I have no interest in vegetarianism or anything, just being plant focused.

I: I wrote in the shape of an "I"; West Metro Miracle Athletics. I have thoughts here of growing the program. Adding kickball for the kids, being more proactive, responding more to parents questions.

O: No need to look close- the "O" is my Dandy Life logo swirl. I have big plans for DL this year, including a new video/vlog/blog series, I'm calling "The KitchGym".

N: The N is blank. Nothing. Empty. I reminder to do...nothing. Life is short, make sure you take time to put everything else aside and enjoy your family, friends, pets, whatever.

Tagline: "She turned her can'ts into cans and her dreams into plans."  When I saw this quote about the same time I chose ACTION for my word... I knew it was right.

I am pretty excited to see where 2014 brings me! What's your word?!

Yellow Split Pea Dal

I love the flavors in this dish! Served over brown rice, it's a perfect meatless Monday entree!

2 T butter, olive oil, or coconut oil.
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 tsp cumin, whole seeds or ground
2 whole cloves
dash pepper

1 cup yellow split peas, uncooked
3  cups water or vegetable broth


Heat oil in large sauce pan, add onions and salt and sautee until soft. Add in all of the spices and let cook for a few minutes until toasted and fragrant. Pour in 1 cup of water, scrapping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits. Add in the rest of the water and the peas. Simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed and peas are cooked to desired tenderness. This can take 20-45 minutes or more depending on preference and even the kind of peas!

Serve warm over brown rice... add some chopped cashews for fun crunch!

Prepping for October Unprocessed Day 1 + Race Week!

So, I have to admit something. This unprocessed challenge is not all that much of a challenge for me. Just a way to get me back on track. And it's Race Week, so I'm trying to keep myself as well nourished, hydrated and relaxed as possible. This means no skipping breakfast, and getting some good healthy carbs in. It's all about the prep work.

Here's what I have going so far this week.

1) Quinoa! I typically cook up a batch on Sunday afternoon to have it ready for the week. For breakfast I treat it like oatmeal, heat it up and add some almond milk and fruit and nuts! It makes a great lunch!

Quinoa, make a batch and store it for the week!

Today I threw it in with some leftover grilled chicken and frozen veggies.

Here's my latest Quinoa trick! Toast the Quinoa for a few minutes in the sauce pan until it starts to "pop". Then rinse it, then cook it per package instructions. I swear it's always turned out for me this way! And I admit, I've had it become a mushy mess as well.

Sweet Potatoes! Great for breakfast or a snack.

2) Sweet potatoes! Scrub them, prick them with a fork, and bake in the oven for 1.25 hours at 350. Make a few at a time. Let them cool and scoop out the flesh. I bring about 1/2 of a potatoes worth to work, topped with a tiny bit of butter, a drizzle of pure maple syrup and some toasted nuts.  Perfect morning snack. Store the rest in the fridge for the week!

3) Turkey Sausage. There is always some of this in my freezer. Breakfast is great any time of day, and homemade turkey sausage takes the guilt of regular breakfast meat out of the equation. Check out my recipe here. 

4) Brown Rice. Rice isn't really a staple for me, but again, it's race week, so I cooked up a batch tonight to eat with my Dal. (still have to write up that recipe).

So that's it for quick prep tips. Tip #1-- put in the time and do the prep work to make mornings (and any meal) a whole lot easier!

Homemade Turkey Sausage

This turkey sausage has been my go-to breakfast meat for a long time now... I can't believe I've never blogged the recipe!! This makes 8 "english muffin" size patties. Sometimes I make them round, sometimes rectangular so they fit between a half slice of toast! Sometimes instead of patties, I mix it up and brown it just to throw in with eggs! And they freeze fantastically!

Here we go!

1.25lb ground turkey*
2 Tbls of dry oatmeal or cooked rice
2 tsp dry onion flakes- or 2tbs of grated/chopped onion
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 pinch of crushed red pepper.

Mix together in a large bowl and form into patties. Cook over a medium heat in a large, dry skillet about 4 minutes on each side, and cooked through!

*You can use either the ground turkey breast or just ground turkey. If I do use the ground breast I often use fresh onion and grate 1/4 cup of zucchini into the mix. Turkey breast has no fat and makes for some pretty dry patties.

Quinoa (or Kale),Black Bean and Mango Salad

I had a bit of a mango infatuation this spring. They were on sale for several weeks at the grocery store, and I stocked up for smoothies and salads. A couple weeks later, I'd had enough, and froze whatever I had left. The Orange Sesame dressing developed for this dish, has become a staple in my fridge, it's perfect with all of the greens I'm getting from my CSA!

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Orange Sesame Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Quinoa*
1 cup water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 mango diced, about 1 cup chopped
2 scallions thinly sliced

for the dressing;
1/4 cup Orange Juice
2 T Rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, dry toast the quinoa over a medium heat until it starts to pop, about 5 minutes, stirring often (pay attention here, so it doesn't burn). Then rinse the quinoa in a mesh sieve, to wash away it's bitter, protective coating. Return to saucepan, add water and simmer for 15-20 minutes until water has been absorbed, stirring occasionally.

While quinoa is cooking, prepare dressing. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl, and add the beans. Stir in dressing. Carefully fold in the mango and scallions. Serve warm, room temp or cold. Stores for several days.

* This also makes a great Kale salad. Substitute 1 bunch of raw chopped Kale for the quinoa. Or, simply add it to cooled quinoa as part of this dish.

Kale and Black Bean Salad with Orange Sesame Dressing

October Unprocessed 2013; What it means to me!

The October Unprocessed 2013 Challenge...Here we go again. Another food challenge! There has been a lot going on this Summer, and my food choices haven't been that great, so I'm excited to get back on track. The timing couldn't be more perfect!! I'm racing in my first 10K next weekend, in what I am calling my "Road to Oly". I guess this makes it official; I'm going to attempt my first Olympic Distance Triathlon next Summer!! Ack!  Anyway, back to the food.

This Summer came with a lot of challenges. There was just a lot going on, from teaching my Autism Fitness class, to a broken refrigerator that caused me to limit my groceries; to a September so crazy, I counted two days that didn't have a schedule (today being one of them). I ate out a lot due to the schedule, and lack of fridge. And now, I'm 6 days out from race day, and ready to clean up my act. The  October Unprocessed Challenge from Eating Rules is a perfect start.

I read the official guide to the program and thought I should answer the questions. Putting it in my blog seemed like a great way to make myself more accountable.

My Intention for the October Unprocessed challenge is: to stick as close to it as financially and realistically as possible. I know I will slip, it's ok. It's not cheating, it's a choice. I don't believe in diets or cutting anything out of my diet (everything in moderation)... even processed food. It's true! I know it's bad for me, but it's unrealistic to think- with my lifestyle- that I can cut everything out.  Mostly, I want to stop eating out; including my office cafeteria!

What is my definition of Unprocessed? My personal definition is a little different than listed in the guide. I'm just not that hard core! I'm not a huge condiment eater, so I don't feel like restricting them is a big problem. I try to buy as unprocessed as possible, within reason. If I ate ketchup every day or even once a week, I'd maybe think differently!  I stick to the "5 ingredients or less" rule, and the majority of the time they are ingredients I can pronounce, and/or pass the Kitchen Test.  I became a "real foodie" about a year ago, so I do not eat anything "diet, lite or low-fat". And while I am not even close to vegetarian I do not eat much dairy, or animal protein.

My deliberate exceptions for this challenge? Most visibly: Almond Milk. I have made my own, it was bad. It's more cost and time efficient to buy it, even if it doesn't pass the test. Occasionally pasta is also an exception. I LOAD pasta with veggies, and quite frankly, sometimes you just need the starchy white flour pasta! And since it's October (well, almost, as I write this) and nearly impossible to avoid- I know I will fall victim to Halloween candy! But again, everything in moderation. Also, I'm sure there are some soups in my freezer that may not pass the test, but I'm not going to worry about that. I believe that if you make it at home, it's already better than buying it at the store!

I will try to post recipes, but when you are feeding yourself this way, it's not so much about recipes, and food ideas. Still, I will post as much as possible.

I encourage you to take the pledge and give it your best shot. If it's vowing to eat one meal a week that you made from scratch, going whole hog, or like me, something in between, it will be a change your body will appreciate!

Orange Sesame Dressing

This dressing has become a staple in my fridge over the last month or so. It's a perfect little dressing for the slightly bitter greens I've gotten from my CSA, but would work great with any hardy green.

Salads in my house, are often just a collection of what is in my fridge and pantry. Fresh or dried fruit, toasted almonds, and goat cheese crumbles are pretty much salad topping staples in my house.

Here's the dressing recipe;
1/4 Cup Orange Juice
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to a week in your fridge.

Here's a salad tip! A perfectly dressed salad leaves no dressing in the bottom of the bowl. Try drizzle a tablespoon (or less) of dressing along the outside of the bowl and mixing in a spoonful at a time.