The Great GORP Project

Climbing back on the bandwagon. . .now where did I put my tuba anyways??

 
(hmmm. .wonder who got a hold of my camera???)

Get it?? BAND wagon!!

I promised some clean eating lunch ideas and here they are:) I've been procrastinating because I had this big idea of actually making them and taking awesome pictures so I can show you what these tasty creations look like. . but it just wasn't happening. .so fuel up your imaginations and forgive me!

After baby #4 (Moses) I've been dragging my clean eating heels and not exercising, it doesn't feel good and I'm slowly cluing into the fact that I NEED to be strong, fit and healthy in order to deal with my life. End of story. No excuses. I heard something the other day that inspired me. . .

DON'T USE YOUR CHILDREN AS EXCUSES AS TO WHY YOU CAN'T GET THINGS DONE, EXERCISE, EAT HEALTHY, BLAH BLAH BLAH. . ..THEY ARE REASONS TO DO IT. . NOT EXCUSES WHY YOU CAN'T!!. . .THEY ARE THE VERY REASON WE NEED TO KICK OUR OWN BUTTS IN THE MORNING AND GET OUR LIVES ORGANIZED, PRODUCTIVE AND IN ORDER. .. amen to that eh?? I needed a wake up to get back on track. . .I'll be honest, every few months I crash and feel overwhelmed, exhausted and down. Flitting from project to project and not really honing in on my priorities. I see the pattern now and it's time to put an end to it. ..

My two week challenge. . .(feel free to join me:)

I'm starting with SIMPLE. Going to bed by 9-9:30 every night.

Waking up at 5 am to exercise or do yoga.

Spending time with my Heavenly Father every morning for at least 30 minutes. (Seriously, when I don't make time for God it corresponds directly with my productivity. . .or lack there of I should say;)

Jumping back on the eating clean bandwagon:

    - drinking enough water all day

    - eating protein within 20 minutes of waking

    - no processed junk

That's it, that's all. The days of the 50 item "to-do list" are over. It's overwhelming and if I end up failing by lunchtime every day, I trash the list anyways. . 5 items max.

So. Early to bed, early to rise, Spending time with the Big Guy upstairs, fueling the body with clean goodness and exercise. Done.

3 awesome clean recipes:)

Lettuce and Smoked Salmon Wraps

3 leaves of Romaine Lettuce

3 tablespoons of reduced fat herb and garlic Philadelphia cream cheese

Smoked salmon

thinly sliced purple onion

capers

Basically you lay out the lettuce, spread on the cream cheese and lay everything else on top. . voila. easy. done. and packed with omega 3 and protein. My kids love this quick lunch, minus the capers. . it makes you feel full because of the healthy fat and protein, but you get absolutely no bloating out of the deal. .. .it's a good one:) Sorry for the lack of picture:(

This carrot soup recipe is amazing and really kid friendly. .

Carrot Soup

6 large carrots shredded

2 med. potatoes cut into cubes

1.5 cups of chicken broth

1 tsp. worchestershire sauce

1 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1 large spanish onion chopped fine

3 cups milk

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 cup chopped parsley

You will need two pots. In the first pot combine the first 7 ingredients and bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes or until veggies are tender. In the second pot saute the chopped onion in a bit of butter or coconut oil until soft, add the milk and sprinkle in the thyme and parsley. Then combine the two pots and stir. I always take out half the soup and blend it in the blender until creamy and add back into the soup. . .it's fantastic that way! Enjoy:)

Oh and here's a hot tip. . .if you live near Winnipeg, go to the Crusty Bun on St. Mary's road and pick up some pumpkin seed buns to go with this soup. . soooooooo chewy and delish. SERIOUSLY, the best buns I've ever eaten. . EVER. (Sorry to all Grant's Mennonite relatives who might be offended by this;))

. . .o.k.. .I made this next one up myself. . and to be honest, only Leo and myself liked it, but the rest of my family is obviously nutbar, cause I thought this was quite inspired. . .

So. First you make some healthy chili for your fam and eat it for lunch for a few days till everyone is sick of chili, then you do this!

The Cauliflower, Chili, Cheese Wonder meal of Yum!

One head of cauliflower chopped into large pieces

1 cup of skim milk

1/2 cup of shredded jalapeno mozza cheese

2 cups of leftover chili

Steam cauliflower and lay in casserole dish, combine chili and milk in a saucepan until hot, pour over cauliflower and sprinkle cheese on top. . .it's a 3C delight! The Cauliflower, Chili, Cheese Wonder meal of yum. Yup. That's the official name;) It was tasty and healthy and a good way to stretch the grocery budget if I do say so. .. anyone else notice the cost of groceries is RIDICULOUS lately?? You can buy a head of cauliflower for $2.50. . .just say'in:)

. . .the lowdown lately. . .our exchange student from France arrived yesterday so I'm trying out my francais on him. . . he keeps smiling and laughing? I must be better at francais than I thought!? So with a guest in the house, I'm pulling out my cooks hat again, my run of scrambled eggs every night for supper is over. My fam will be relieved:)

Starting Monday I'm cataloguing my new routine of early to bed, early to rise, just to keep myself accountable. .. hope it doesn't bore you to death! I also took a "before" picture. . .which I just have to say was quite the wake up call. . .try taking a photo at yourself from a true angle, meaning line the camera up with your belly button instead of angling down (which makes you look like a malnourished waif in desperate need of a burger;) I'll tell ya right now, I'm not posting that crazy pic until I have an "after" photo to put beside it. . argh! Now, don't get me wrong here. . .it's not all about what you look like. . .it's about being toned, strong and fit and not having extra rolls flopping over the jeans. . .I have a rant percolating about how we've taken this whole "love yourself just the way you are" movement waaaaaaaay to far. .. .it may sound rude or bold or nasty but really, it's not. . .it's coming. so beware. There are plenty of us who might be loving ourselves right into obesity and heart disease. . .and that's bunk. .. but that's not for today. . .

Try those recipes. . really. .. they rock:) And if you feel like doing the early to bed challenge with me, it starts Monday. . .come along for the ride and let me know how it works for ya!

be mighty.

 

Big Soft Ginger cookies with killer white icing. . .sob. . .

At the request of my dear nephew. . .the best ginger cookie recipe EVER!Seriously. .. these puppies rock.

Ginger cookies: (courtesy of my dear Grandma Fewster:)

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup molasses

4 cups of flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 1 cup of hot water

Combine the wet, then combine the dry, add them together and mix er up. Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased pan.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.

While slightly warm, cover with icing.

Killer White Icing:

3 cups of icing sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

about 5 tbsp.'s  of milk

Add milk a little at a time cause it's easy to get it too runny. . .drizzle over cookies and go to town!

Ahem. . .you may think that it isn't appropriate for a self confessed health nut to post a recipe such as this?? But really. . .sometimes ya just gotta eat a big ole Ginger Cookie with Killer White Icing and not feel guilty. . .cause life is short and it's not like you are shoving your face full of these suckers every day. . .Right?!

Enjoy! You have to find something yummy to do in this cruddy weather. . .my Dukan diet induced freak out over my sugar deprivation may have been what induced this rant. . .boy, I had no idea I was so addicted. .. .I've been acting a little NUTS. . .it's day 3, no sugar. . .no veggies, no fruit. .. and ALL CRAZY. .. but 4 pounds down. . .I'll blog about my Dukan Diet journey tomorrow:)

I'm left to chomp down on my grilled chicken breasts and dream about BIG FAT GINGER GOODNESS!

P.S. .. I tried to health-a-fy a ginger cookie recipe a few months ago and was left with tasteless cardboard lumps that NOBODY in my family ate. .. so just bite the bullet, pull out the butter and sugar and treat yourself. . .!

bran-o-licious and gorp delivery

A surreal day for sure! Now when people ask, I can honestly say. .. Yes, I started out of the trunk of my car! I blasted into Staples today to pick up a quickie print job and sat in the back of the excusion with the truck running (so the bars wouldn't melt), and stapled 158 brochures to 158 bars that needed to be delivered to the Manitoba Food Processors for their Golf Tournament next week. . .I just kept praying that nobody would try and steal the truck with my pregnant self trapped in the back surrounded by piles of bars. .. that wouldn't have been cool.. .nope.

Look for my blog banner to change this next week. . .I'm unveiling my new logo, which you can not quite make out in the picture above. . I just have to dust off my rusty photoshop skills and see what materializes.

On the gorp news front. . .I just found out that there is a world wide shortage of the exact type of film I'm using to package my bars. . of freakin course there is. .. so 3 month lead times might be in my near future if I can't pull some strings aka. . .locate copious amounts of money FAST. .. gak. . .a challenge for another day, because tonight I'm sinking my teeth into some chocolate and losing myself in the book 1984 while I fall asleep. . yes, Big Brother. .. I see you. .. now find me some film darn it!

. . .and cause I promised:)

Yum-O muffins. . .good for you and your gut. . .

1 cup of butter

1.5 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

1 cup molasses

4 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

3 cups bran cereal

2 tsp vanilla

4 cups milk

1 cup of frozen blueberries

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, then add molasses dry ingredients milk and blueberries.

Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 and wait for the goodness. . .

This recipe makes 3 dozen sweet bran-o-licious muffins!

	Nutrition Facts User Entered Recipe   36 Servings Amount Per Serving   Calories 172.8   Total Fat 5.0 g       Saturated Fat 2.8 g       Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g       Monounsaturated Fat 1.4 g   Cholesterol 32.5 mg   Sodium 151.8 mg   Potassium 381.1 mg   Total Carbohydrate 33.6 g       Dietary Fiber 2.6 g       Sugars 14.1 g   Protein 3.8 g   Vitamin A 4.6 %   Vitamin B-12 2.9 %   Vitamin B-6 7.6 %   Vitamin C 0.2 %   Vitamin D 4.2 %   Vitamin E 1.5 %   Calcium 15.9 %   Copper 14.2 %   Folate 8.4 %   Iron 17.0 %   Magnesium 14.6 %   Manganese 46.4 %   Niacin 8.1 %   Pantothenic Acid 4.2 %   Phosphorus 11.8 %   Riboflavin 10.6 %   Selenium 18.2 %   Thiamin 9.8 %   Zinc 4.7 % *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

 Eat up and step out!

Flicks, Shaved heads and sweet honour/buns and green slurpies!

Once again I've become a lazy blogger. . .I tend to go in waves of inspiration. . .some days I have ants in my fingers and can't wait to get typing, others. .. well. ..only have enough energy to drag my bag of chips in front of the tv and plunk in a movie. . .

Speaking of which, here are a few reviews, using the highly sofisticated Grant and Colleen rating system of Good or Bad;)

Avatar - Good (although am left wondering why big budget movies always have cheesy scripts??)

Pirate Radio - Bad (Painful and horrible waste of time... too bad cause the true story is amazing, but all the gratuitous shagging in the movie is pointless. . )

Lovely Bones - Good (but subject matter is ugga.)

 
  
Apparently, late is better than never when it comes to the annual 1st day of seeding head shave ceremony. . .half the farm is seeded, but we finally got to it, thank goodness, cause Leo was beginning to get stars due to his short bangs and wavy mullet do. . .

Also. . .some exciting news for Gorp! My branding company, Cocoon, informed me a little while ago that they submitted the package design for Gorp into a graphic design competition and it was actually short-listed!! I think that's pretty cool. I've blogged before about how much this brand development process has stretched me, in some big areas I had to give up my initial vision and trust the process. . .I've yet to unveil the new logo/packaging design that Cocoon came up with, but it's coming soon, I promise:) On May 14th I should find out if Gorp's redesign will take the prize! Cool.

Initial inspection of the commercial kitchen in the basement has been completed and I'm heading to Toronto in June to test out the packaging machine using our actual film.

In the meantime I'm perfecting my cinnamon bun recipe. .. apparently you should make sure you actually have more than a meager pinch of cinnamon before making these suckers. . .DOH. This is one food item that I refuse to try to make healthy. . .if I'm going to indulge in a big fat sticky bun, it better not be ruined with whole wheat. . . that's my take on it. .. I did chop up fresh apple and spread it in the filling though, yum-er!

Super affordable home-made green drink!

Leo's new and improved do:) Plus he's sucking down an uber healthy green drink, I didn't make this one up, instead I copied it from the back of a bottle I bought at Organza for $8.00 for a single serving!!(Ahhh!). . .I threw in a cup of orange juice, 2 cups of very cold water, 2 peeled oranges, 1/2 a banana, and a few leaves of Kale (major cancer fighter) and blended her up until I couldn't see any chunky bits floating around, pour over ice and enjoy!

Super healthy, and Leo loved it, this is his second glass:)

Hey, cinnamon buns and green drinks all in the same day. . .if that's not balance, I don't know what is;)
 
Stepping out. . . 

My best friend Fiber. . .

CLEAN EATING PRINCIPLES:

1. Drink lots of water. 8-10 cups per day
2. Eat every 2-3 hours. (always combine a protein with a complex carb) I'll explain later.
3. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS eat breakfast, and don't skip meals. (don't have to tell me twice:)
4. Avoid chemicals, preservatives, nasty fake sugar, white flour and processed foods.
5. Get 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day.
6. Consume healthy fats (your essential fatty acids) every day.
7. Limit alcohol.
8. Eat fresh whole foods. . .Most of the time!

I'm going to expand on each clean eating principle in the coming posts. . .TODAY, I'm skipping to #5 Fiber. . .just cause that's what's making my life better these days. I'm revving up to do Tosca Reno's two week Cooler Plan #1, it's a pretty strict clean eating plan/strategy where you pack a cooler full of pre-prepared meals for the day, to take the guesswork out of what you are putting in your mouth. It's also a stress free way to follow the plan. Eat a proper breakfast, snack from your cooler every 2-3 hours throughout the day, and then prepare an approved supper. Easy? Stress free? We will see. But I'm only starting on Monday. . .so I digress.

Back to fiber. .. eating a bowl of oatmeal in the morning topped with 1/4 cup of ground flax has changed my life. Let's just leave it at that. Try it for a few days and just try not to jump for joy.

Why we need Fiber: I won't go into huge detail here. . you can Google it:)

• reduces your risk of heart attack, cancer, diabetes, and it regulates blood sugar
• helps you lose weight, controls hunger, reduces absorption of calories from the food we eat!
• lowers cholesterol, prevents varicose veins, colitis, constipation, hemorrhoids, (if you've ever had one of these EVIL life sucking jerks, you KNOW how sweet this is!)
• keeps you healthy by improving your immunity and removing toxic waste from the colon
• Removes and flushes out cancer causing substances from the walls of your intestines
• (high fiber foods are low energy density foods, so you can eat more without a huge calorie intake)

It really just goes on and on. .. I experienced mental clarity and more energy when I started concentrating on getting 35 grams per day. . .less stomach upset and bloating as well.

Where to get fiber: the natural fiber rich superstars!

Oats - 1/2 cup = 12g

Brown rice - 1/2 cup = 4g

Millet - 1/2 cup = 10g

Amaranth 1/2 cup = 17g

Lentils 1/2 cup = 8g

1/2 cup raspberries = 4g

Orange = 7g

Apple = 5g

Banana = 4 (I add a banana to my mid morning protein shake)

1 cup Broccoli = 4g

1/4 cup Red beans = 4g

whole grain toast (depending on brand) 3-5g

Coconut - 1/2 cup = 10g (of course my favourite superstar food rocks in the fiber department too!)

Those are just a few examples. .. I have a book all about fiber that I just keep on the counter so I can flip it open and make better food choices. . . although, as you can see, if you are eating clean this doesn't take much extra thought to get fiber in ya:)

There is study after study that shows how fiber affects different types of cancers, keeps arteries clear. . .even weight control. . .this is one thing we can do for ourselves that will help our bodies stand up to disease while at the same time improving our quality of life as we do it.

Here is a Recipe for Vegetarian Chili that delivers a whopping 15g of fiber per cup!

Saute 1 or 2 onions along with 4 cloves of garlic in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Put aside.

slice kernels off 2 ears of fresh corn add 1/2 cup each of chopped cilantro and parsley and put aside as well.

In a large pot add: 3 cans of diced tomatoes, 1 can of tomato paste, 1 jalapeno chopped, 3 or 4 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 heaping tablespoon of cumin, 1 bay leaf, 1 can of red kidney beans, 1 can white kidney beans, 1 can of black beans, 1 can of chick peas (all drained), 1 red pepper and green pepper chopped, 1 cup chopped mushrooms, and a dash of sea salt.

Bring pot to a boil and then let simmer for an hour. Add onions, garlic, corn and herbs near the end so they don't get over done. Letting the corn stay a bit crisp adds a neat dimension to the chili!

This recipe delivers you 15 grams of fiber per cup with only 5g of fat and 258 calories!

A big fat winner I thinks:)

There. . .Fiber. What a novel concept. I can't believe I forgot about you for so long:(

Stepping out into the cold cold morning to get some Gorp work done, went to a course yesterday about How to Approach Retailers. . .very informative.  .my fear of cold calling has apparently got to go! Ahhhh!

Stepping and hopefully not slipping on out into the real world:)

Here comes CLEAN!

I am going to preface this post by saying this:

I am in no way associated with any drug companies. . .whew. (got that out of my system). I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist or an expert. I am a mom who reads A LOT, a wanna-be triathlete who wants a strong flexible healthy body to compete with, and a human who desires clean fuel free of crap. I don't like counting calories and think Weight Watchers is fine for losing weight initially if that's what works for you, BUT IT CERTAINLY ISN'T A LIFESTYLE. I want a lifestyle that tastes good and makes my body sing and will allow me to hike Matchu Pitchu again when I'm 75. That's it. That's all. Here we go.

First a home made definition: Clean Eating

It's eating whole natural foods that have either not been processed at all or minimally. This includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, lean proteins, and complex carbs. Staying away from artificial EVERYTHING, preservatives, dyes, high heat processed man made sugars, and processed foods. It's drinking lots of water and giving your body what it needs to grow muscle and burn fat efficiently.

An EASY list of Clean Eating Principles: (I'll go through the list below in the coming days and explain exactly WHY these principles are so important and ideas of how to implement them.)

Drink lots of water. 8-10 cups per day

Eat every 2-3 hours. (always combine a protein with a complex carb) I'll explain later.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS eat breakfast, and don't skip meals. (don't have to tell me twice:)

Avoid chemicals, preservatives, nasty fake sugar, white flour and processed foods.

Get 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day.

Consume healthy fats (your essential fatty acids) every day.

Limit alcohol.

Eat fresh whole foods. . .Most of the time! (This is my opinion, I'm not hardcore, I know you can't ALWAYS eat clean, but aiming for doing it 80 to 90% of the time is a great goal, plus it leaves room for the occasional hot dog at a Gold Eyes game or cracking some "zote" while fishing with your kids. (for the non-menno portion of readers, that's sunflower seeds:) It also contributes to you not being seen as a rude horrible food snob at dinner parties:) Ummmm. .. excuse me, but was this lasagna made with PROCESSED FLOUR grandma Sadie?? Yeah, in my family if you asked a question like that you'd get a sidewinder before you could finish your thought! (For those of you not in my family a sidewinder = Granny punching you in the side of the head. . HARD.) That's my slant on things.

But don't take my word for it. .. I found that Tosca Reno has some great literature out there on Clean Eating. .. she is very inspiring. ..check her out! I picked up the magazine/book for 10 bucks at Safeway. .. her recipe book is next on my list, it looks phenomenal. What I appreciate about her writing is the way she goes behind the science to make it relevant in my brain and dispel the myths. Like eating less = losing weight. (not true and especially not long-term) Now I make sure I never miss a snack or meal because she explains that when your body falls short of what it needs it will rob proteins from . . .not your backside, but your muscles, as if? That one sentence alone has got me eating every two to three hours on the nose. Muscle is the only place in the body that burns fat. 1 pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day, compared with fat at 2 calories a day. So my interest is in keeping the muscle right where it is. Plus I want to feel energized and alert throughout the entire day. .. no mid day crashes.

Here is a list of her books I snagged from Amazon.ca (or you can go to Safeway and get the 10 dollar quick read!)

1.

The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged: Lasting Fat Loss That's Better than Ever by Tosca Reno (Paperback - Jan 25 2010)

Buy new: CDN$ 21.95 CDN$ 15.85

2 Used & new from CDN$ 15.85

In Stock

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Books: See all 16 items

 

2.

Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook: Delicious Recipes That Will Burn Fat and Re-Shape Your Body! by Tosca Reno (Hardcover - Oct 25 2009)

Buy new: CDN$ 34.95 CDN$ 21.91

8 Used & new from CDN$ 21.50

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Books: See all 16 items

3.

The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook: Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep You Lean! by Tosca Reno (Paperback- Sep 1 2007)

Buy new: CDN$ 21.95 CDN$ 16.02

15 Used & new from CDN$ 15.85

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4.

The Eat-Clean Diet Companion by Tosca Reno (Spiral-bound - Oct 25 2009)

Buy new: CDN$ 16.95 CDN$ 12.24

11 Used & new from CDN$ 9.30

In Stock

Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping.

Books: See all 16 items

5.

The Eat-Clean Diet Workout: Quick Routines for Your Best Body Ever! [With DVD] by Tosca Reno (Paperback - Mar 1 2009)

Buy new: CDN$ 21.95 CDN$ 16.02

13 Used & new from CDN$ 7.68

In Stock

Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping.

Books: See all 16 items

6.

The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids: Simple Strategies for Lasting Health & Fitness by Tosca Reno (Paperback - Aug 1 2008)

Buy new: CDN$ 21.95 CDN$ 15.85

17 Used & new from CDN$ 13.99

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Books: See all 16 items

7.

The Eat-Clean Diet, Fast Fat-Loss that lasts Forever! by Tosca Reno (Paperback - Dec 14 2006)

Buy new: CDN$ 19.95 CDN$ 14.56

2 Used & new from CDN$ 14.56

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Books: See all 16 items

8.

The Eat-Clean Diet Workout Journal by Tosca Reno (Spiral-bound - Jan 2008)

Buy new: CDN$ 12.43 CDN$ 10.78

10 Used & new from CDN$ 4.40

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9.

The Butt Book: How to Build a Non-Cellulite & Fat-Free Butt in 9 Weeks! by Tosca Reno (Paperback - Mar 31 2007)

Buy new: CDN$ 14.95 CDN$ 10.91

12 Used & new from CDN$ 7.24

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Books: See all 16 items

10.

The Eat-Clean Diet for Men: Your Ironclad Plan for a Lean Physique! by Robert Kennedy (Paperback - May 25 2009)

Buy new: CDN$ 21.95 CDN$ 15.85

11 Used & new from CDN$ 15.19

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Wow.  .this post just got long. . .a quick recipe and I'll make tracks on outta blogland and do some unpacking in the house. . .but until then, this is my own creation. . .it is full of good stuff and tastes AWESOME!

 

First you have to pick up a jar of this!

 
Colleen's Crazy Curry Culinary Creation:

 

2 cans of black beans (drained)

1 can of chick peas (drained)

1 large onion diced

3 stalks of celery diced

3 cloves of garlic diced

1 red or yellow pepper diced

1 can of diced or 2 cups of fresh tomatoes

1 cup of frozen or fresh corn

chopped cilantro and parsley to taste

(also. .. you can throw in leftover wild or brown rice if it's sitting there in the fridge.)

 

combine all ingredients above in a baking dish.

 

Combine: 1 cup of orange juice with 3 large tablespoons (or more!) of Pataks Madras Red Curry Paste (hot) (you can get it at Superstore) and then pour over mixture. Cover and bake in oven until mixture is boiling, remove lid and let some juice boil away.

 

You can eat just as it is, or what I love to do is throw some in a whole wheat wrap and top with cheese!

 

It is quite spicy, hearty and fills you right up, plus it makes GREAT leftovers. It's all good. I'm going to plug it into a recipe calculator and get the nutrition facts for ya. ..

Oh and I have been trying to figure out what supplements out of the 500,000 out there are the BIG KAHUNAS, the ones with the most punch, the ones that really address the shortfalls of our North American diets. I'll share what I think are the easiest and most important ones to get in ya:)

 

Rock. . step. . rock. ..step out!

Art plus Chocolate. . .

Art first.

The Details:

Who: Kal Barteski (Check out her site, she gives sneak peeks of paintings in progress)

What: A sure to be stunning art show

Where: The District, 177 Lombard Avenue, Winnipeg Manitoba

When: December 2nd from 4pm to 10pm

Why: Because Kal is a hard working, life loving, local artist. AND. . .you won't regret it:)

Make a date night with your hubby, put on your little black dress/or funky tie...what ev. . .and hit the town, sip some wine, enjoy the eye candy and Gawk away! Seriously. .. go to the show. . .if I was just a tad more of a jerk, I wouldn't be telling you about this because I can't be there, and will be missing out on nabbing my favourite piece. .. .. but alas, supporting a local rocking entrepreneur chick is more important:)

You are sure to leave INSPIRED. I promise.

Chocolate Second.

You can't beat this recipe for the speed factor. Only 4 ingredients. Sweet indeed.

Chewy Chocolate Crunch Cookies

(crispy outside, chewy inside. .. divine.)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup oil

Box of devils food cake mix

3 Skor bars, coarsely chopped

Beat eggs and oil until combined, add cake mix, mix well. Then pour in the Skor! Mixer up and roll into balls. Approximately 2 tsp per cookie, arrange 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes until tops are domed and cracked. DON'T OVER BAKE OR YOU WON'T GET THE CHEW GOING ON. . .I WARNED YA.

Todays list fun:

6. You don't have to win every argument.

What?? Hmmmm. . .who knew?;) This simple reminder is quite the revelation when you really "get it". I'm a stickler when I feel entitled to be mad. .. even if it has nothing to do with the disagreement or issue at hand.  ..if I'm sitting there feeling like I deserve to feel angry. . .look out. Sadly it rarely gets me anywhere, I'm always shocked at how a simple give and take strategy cools the waters on both sides. (plus there is way less ugly snotty face tears. . .bonus.)

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

(even if it's your dog. . .Ohhhh Muddy Waters where are you?)

O.k.. . . I'm long overdue for a Gorp update. .. tomorrow will be a Gorp day:)

Rock out.

There she blows. . .duck and cover. . .

A warning up front. . .I've taken a deep breath and am ready to type. . .

The content: you may be exposed to recipes, rants about coconut oil (yet again), and ponderings about various cool new finds and social issues. .gulp. hang on. All in the same post. . I just had to get it out.

This instant coffee from Starbucks ROCKS. And don't let the word instant conjure up images of freeze dried particles of crud. Just like you would expect from the best coffee known to man. ..they spent 20 YEARS in R&D to develop a process to micro grind the beans, and at the same time preserve all the essential oils and fresh brewed rich taste. . wow. .that makes me feel way better about the 5 years I've spent in R&D for Gorp Bar! You can read more here. They are having a contest. . .so I'm totally going to enter with a story and picture of me and my peeps drinking VIA on the Mantario Trail. . whoop!

This article on Coconut Oil and all its benefits appeared in the latest issue of Clean Eating Magazine!!

I am sooooo incredibly impressed with this magazine. . .the philosophy behind the articles and high quality content is so right on. I'd dare say it's the highest quality healthy living magazine I've ever read. Intelligent well researched articles and phenomenal ideas on how to live a more healthy life. . .but a greener one too. I'm in love. In case you are curious. . .these are the ideas they threw out about ways to use coconut oil. .. many you've probably heard me rant about before:

- Cleanse your skin and remove makeup

- Use as a body and face moisturizer

- Use a dab instead of hair gel

- Spread on toast instead of butter

- Stir into oatmeal

- Used in baked goods to replace oil or butter

- Drizzle over steamed veggies

- Use in stir frys or to scramble eggs (we do this all the time and it's great!)

In our camp we also use it on popcorn. . .add a tiny bit of butter to the melted coconut oil and you will be hard pressed to tell the difference! And remember coconut oil is heat stable so you can heat it without causing it to become carcinogenic. . .sweet.

It is free of cholesterol and trans fats. . plus it can be used as a weight-loss aid. . .GOOGLE IT and you can read all the testimonies:) I'm not crazy. .. really.

And here's an uber healthy recipe I tried. .. out of Clean Eating Magazine of course:

Walnut Blueberry Banana Bread

1 ripe banana mashed

3/4 cup ground flax

2 egg whites (for the record I never separate whites from the yolks.  .I use the whole egg, what God put together who are we to separate? Right? :) Plus the moisture is worth the extra calories or whatever!

1/3 cup agave nectar

1 cup 1% buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup spelt flour (I used oat flour)

1 tsp grated orange rind

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup walnuts chopped (or pecans)

You know the drill. . .mix wet. . mix dry. . then combine and bake at 375 for 45 min. A half inch slice packs 8 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber into your sweet self. . .in only 200 calories. .. that's uber healthy alright.

To be perfectly honest. .. when I first tasted it.. .I thought "where's the sweetness??". .. but as I got used to it I liked it more and more. .. and my kids warmed up to it too! I think we are so used to cake-like banana bread. . .that it was a bit of a shocker. . and this is guilt free. .full of fiber and makes a healthy quick breakfast. Thumbs up over here!

This is the beginnings of the BEST SALSA EVER. My mom's salsa is famous. . .and delicious. . and flavourful and hot all at the same time. . .she made a mega jumbo pot the other day and if you are interested. .. I'll scoop the recipe for ya!

This is the Bible Study by Beth Moore that spurred on a very interesting discussion about mean girls. . and insecurity and what breeds it all. . what's at the root? How do we handle this issue with our young sons and especially daughters? I was going to tag this on to the end of this post. . . but have since thought better of it. . .this rant will be too long to be a tag on. . .plus I want to make it a quality post, so will do some more thinking and soul searching before I write about it. ..

I strongly recommend picking up this study. . .it's very relevant to life now. . .Beth is extremely talented at bringing history forward and breathing life into it so it fits the context of our lives TODAY.

Loving it.

Oh and here's a news tidbit. . .the new issue of Clean Eating is on the stands. . .RUN AND GET IT!!

Rock. it.

O.k. . . .and you just have to check out this turtle pin cushion. .. is it darling.  .or darling. . or rocking cool? I can't decide. . .

(picture from www.heatherbaily.typepad.com)

A great gift/stocking stuffer for the sewing diva in your life! Heather is a fabric designer and has a really cool online store. . .check her out.

There. . .I got it all out. .  .ahhhhhhhhh.

Introducing. . ..Calf

I am in LOVE with this painting by Kal Barteski. .. and now thanks to her on-line garage sale it is mine! I think I'm going to hang it in the Gorp kitchen area. . .he can oversee the quality control of the energy bar assembly line! (just kidding Mr. Food Inspector. ..really.)

Speaking of energy bars. . .I'm doing some tweaking. . .some last minute tweaking to the protein source in the bar. . .I'm experimenting with using sprouted brown rice protein instead of soy. .. due to some recent reading I've been doing which I totally won't bore you with. So (insert small delay here) the launch is going to be a few weeks off schedule. . .but I'm o.k. with that. . .listening to my gut is something I have learned not to question. . and my gut was churning about this one for a while. . .so small delay up front = a better bar and happier me in the long run.

I've been having lots of questions lately about the green smoothie recipe I reference occasionally in my rambles. . .so here's a link to the original post right here!

Off topic but still cool.  .. check out this awesome fan I found for the living room in the new house:)

 

(picture from Barn Light Electric)

Very cool vintage/barn inspired lighting. . .for your home or barn or both. . .Awesome design resource if you are looking for lighting that evokes nostalgia and speaks to a rich history. I can't decide between the galvanized silver look or the copper. . .hmmmm. . .come to think of it. . .Calf might be right at home in my house full of barn lighting. . .perfect.

Today: is a day to salvage what's left rotting. . er sitting in the garden (squash) While I'm there, I might speak some life into my carrots if they are listening. . .they grew 3 inches thick and 2 inches long. .jerks. . . . how super weird. .it's like they were scared of the dark or something and chose to stay as close to the surface as possible. . .and just spread out instead of venturing into the darkness. . .pansies.

Oh well. . ..enough moaning about my less than stellar garden. . .time to focus on the hundred push up challenge (see side bar) and shoot an encouraging email out to my Biggest Loser team-mates!

Have a super Saturday. .. rock out.

To eat or not to eat. . .(every 2-3 hours. . .)

So. .. the debate in my head lately concerning health and wellness/diet issues. . .is the buzz going around about eating every 2 or 3 hours (aka 5 or 6 small meals daily). There are a few schools of thought on this issue. . . Here's what I found out:

Pros:

Some studies say it keeps your metabolism on high gear.

It keeps you satisfied and reduces the need to binge.

Having too long of a stretch between meals causes your body to go into "starvation" mode and start storing calories as fat instead of burning them because it is unsure when it will be fed next. (you can thank genetics/our hunter scavenger ancestors for this little bit of DNA survival strategy.)

Eating a large meal all at once can have the same affect and alert the body to the fact that this may be the last meal for a while. . .so it stores the fat for energy later. So when you skip a meal you can be pretty sure that whatever you chomp down on next will be primarily stored as FAT. great.

Drastically restricting calories causes the body to hold on to fat with even more tenacity. . .and may even cause your body to go into a catabolic state. .. which means it starts using your muscles for fuel.. ACK!

Oh and FYI. .. people that eat breakfast weigh less than people who don't. Awesome. I love my eggs and toast in the morning. .. ..o.k. and side of bacon on Sundays. ..

Cons:

It can be hard to plan for 6 small and nutritious meals throughout the day. .. .energy shakes and (healthy) bars can help fill in the gaps. . .maybe even GORP BARS;)

Some people subscribe to the warrior diet. . .which involves eating little throughout the day and indulging in one LARGE meal at night. I found a really good write up about it here. It's pretty convincing. ..and boasts large amounts of energy during the day (when you are eating less) and the chance to reward yourself at night when the day is done by eating a feast like proportion of food. They claim this style of eating keeps you lean and muscular.

So basically I'm confused.. . .I agree with the warrior diet in terms of feeling more energy during the day when eating less. . .but at the same time the claims about metabolism and your body potentially going into a "muscle eating" state of the "eat every 2-3 hours diet" also seem to make sense and apparently have the studies to prove it. .. .

So I'm going to try each method for one month each and see what happens. .. I'm going to start with the eating every 2-3 hours method. . .I'll keep you posted!

I'm frustrated with the conflicting views/science. . ..seems like when people want to prove something they design studies to prove what they know the most desirable end result for them would be. .. .they don't conduct the experiments to actually see what happens naturally. .. . .I'm a pessimist I guess. . .gotta do it myself I guess!

Fun days. .. anyone else smell fall??