Cross posted in The Daily Yay!
Rena not only perked up (she had napped in her stroller on the way there from the playground) but walked herself almost the entire way home without even being very worn out by the end.
Showing posts with label stores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stores. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Heathy food=lots of energy! :)
Rena not only perked up (she had napped in her stroller on the way there from the playground) but walked herself almost the entire way home without even being very worn out by the end.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Post-Party Excursion
Cross posted in The Daily Yay!
I headed for a bench outside the store, purchases in hand. After enjoying my chocolate bar, I finished my blog post about the night before. Then I relaxed on Facebook and listened to someone singing and playing ukelele in the background. Ukelele seems to be a popular instrument around here.
When I started to get chilly and the hour was getting late, I headed home to hang out with hubby and give him his promised root beer. :)
"Slumber Party" with Hubby! :)
Cross posted in The Daily Yay!
To celebrate my new job, hubby and I decided to have a special chicken dinner. I gave Rena an early, simple dinner of crepes (I make them with coconut oil instead of butter or margarine to cut down on my dairy intake, as I might be slightly lactose intolerant, and to avoid using a product with soy) with some raw tomato and some raw avocado on the the side (she loves them; I don't always have to cook side dishes for her) and then put her to bed. I headed to QFC at the University Village Shopping Center to get kosher chicken, as Whole Foods around here doesn't carry it.
I decided to call my parents on the way. They're three hours earlier, as they live in Cincinnati, but it's ok for me to call them late. They had actually just walked in the door: They'd been out late at the wedding of a local Chabad rabbi's daughter. They reported that there must have been 600 people there and that a bunch of them asked about me. It made me happy to know that so many people in my hometown still think and care about me. Even someone who wasn't at the wedding asked my mom about me recently when she ran into her at a grocery store.
At QFC, I headed to the kosher poultry section. I hadn't seen Empire Organic chicken in ages, but lo and behold, it was there last night! I bought all the drumsticks and left the whole chickens and boneless skinless breasts for others.
Back at home, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees and made a one-dish dinner out of a dozen drumsticks, a couple big bagsful of cremini mushrooms, and a pile of raw cashews; seasoned with salt, red pepper flakes, and a little turmeric; with coconut oil mixed in. Forty minutes later.... Yum! :) Hubby and I ate up all the drumsticks -- we each ate half a dozen and saved some of the other stuff for today.
Then we had fun singing, dancing, joking, and playing around. We do that part of a slumber party most nights, really, but this was special because we were celebrating my new job! :)
Monday, June 6, 2011
My ever-increasing dietary restrictions. Or, why is it so hard to find kosher organic food?
Cross posted in Kosher Cuisine
Finally, after almost two months, here's the promised story of my transition to buying organic. I have this post that I saw posted on this Facebook Page to thank for motivating me to finally write this. It's going to be long so I'm going to divide it into sections. Here goes:
My first shopping trip upon going organic
I was already going to Whole Foods for most of my grocery shopping, so I continued there. I thankfully live within walking distance of the Whole Foods at Roosevelt Square. The only difference was I had to look for that "USDA Organic" symbol, besides looking for a kosher symbol. Basically, I'd apparently made my food life twice as complicated....Or so I thought. See, several items I'd been getting for their other health benefits, such as Rena's juice-sweetened puffs, my favorite vegetable broth, and these yummy tortilla chips were already organic. Other items, such as milk, eggs, and salsa, were easily found in organic versions.
Crackers
My main struggle that trip was finding crackers that would be acceptable to my husband but also healthy and organic. He had been used to eating a specific variety of Triscuits but unfortunately they are not organic. To complicate matters, there were for some reason two sections with crackers, which I didn't know at first. In the first, small section I found exactly one brand that was kosher and organic....but otherwise not up to my dietary standards. I thought, these can't possibly be the only crackers in the store! I asked an employee where I could find crackers, and she directed me to another aisle. Phew! Here I had some trouble as well. I found so many organic crackers but they weren't kosher. Finally I found one called Mary's Gone Crackers that was labeled both organic and kosher. Fun name, but were they healthy? Yes, whole grains and no sugar. I brought them home to hubby....Yum! :)
P.S. The next day I found other crackers called Two Moms in the Raw that Rena and I liked better.
Produce
Organic versions of my usual fruits and vegetables are readily available at Whole Foods. However, I decided to join an organic CSA that would deliver to my door, just for convenience. Full Circle Farm packs up a box for us every week with organic produce from their own farm and partner farms and delivers it to our apartment at some point on Thursday nights or early Friday morning. I love it because I don't have to think about my weekly fruits and vegetables if I don't want to, but if I want to change anything there's a window of opportunity. I could also tell them never to give me something if I don't want it. Customer service is great, always responding to your questions and comments. They'll even give you a credit if you're not completely satisfied with all your received produce, if you ask. They even called a couple weeks to make sure I got my box, since the deliverymen couldn't be buzzed in. All this for $46 a week, for a family order. I always end up buying other fruit because hubby and Rena eat TONS of fruit (and I barely get any!). Also there are a lot of greens, which sometimes spoil before I get to use them all. This is good, though, because I'm encouraged to get used to using more greens.
Also I love that it comes so close to Shabbat so I get fresh produce for Shabbat! :)
Meat
I wanted to make a meat dish for Friday night Shabbat dinner right after my organic transition, but I couldn't find any locally. Help! I resorted to making a vegetarian meatloaf in the hopes that hubby wouldn't even realize it was fake. Funny thing was, I realized as I went to serve it that it happened to be April Fool's Day, so even if he figured it out, it would just be an April Fool! Well, he didn't, and not only that but it came out awesome and he said it was deli-quality meatloaf! :) Unfortunately when I made it next time it didn't come out so good -- I think I just got lucky the first time because tofu isn't usually the best thing in the world -- so after that I just got regular kosher ground meat. As for chicken, for the following Shabbat I went online to search for kosher organic meat, as QFC only rarely has Empire Organic chicken. I tried ordering but they wouldn't even process my order for a single chicken because shipping costs would have been exorbitant! I'd promised hubby chicken for Shabbat so I had to run to QFC and get a regular kosher chicken. Hubby also likes when I get the precooked kosher chickens but unfortunately those aren't organic either. I once tried making General Tzo's Tofu in the hopes that hubby wouldn't realize it was tofu not chicken, but he could totally tell the difference because it didn't come out good. My only hope of avoiding non-organic meat of any kind is to make it to QFC right when they've just gotten a shipment of Empire organic chicken. They get so little so rarely that it's snapped up immediately. They supposedly get it every two weeks on Mondays, but last time I was told it was coming on Tuesday and then it was late. I've basically given up on that. In short, I'm resigned to eating non-organic meat, at least while living here in Seattle. If it were just me I might go vegetarian, but I can't do that with my hubby who goes nuts after just a few days without meat.
Fish
According to my Internet research, wild-caught is really the best way to go, even better than organic fish. So I called Whole Foods again to find out what wild-caught fish they had and found a recipe accordingly. I've also gotten wild-caught canned tuna and salmon.
Cheese
I had a big problem with cheese, as there didn't seem to be any available locally that was both kosher and organic. Initially I tried making my own but I could only make a soft cheese which is simple and doesn't need rennet, a thermometer, etc. I made Paneer cheese. Hubby and I liked it for a bit but then he got tired of it. I spent more long hours on the internet, and it turned out that a couple brands, including Tillamook Cheddar that's found at Whole Foods, were actually organic and kosher thought they didn't advertise that on their packaging or website. Though it's a bit annoying that I can only get cheddar but no mozzarella, parmesan, or others, I can't complain too much because I do get to have cheese. There's also kosher organic cream cheese, cottage cheese, etc. I love the brand Nancy's because it tastes good and it's cultured. Also Nancy's sells giant containers of yogurt which is wonderful because my husband is currently on a fruit-and-yogurt kick. (Please note, not all Nancy's products are organic so you have to make sure the package says organic when you buy.)
Sweeteners
I had been using Truvia, but it's not organic. Also I'd heard that it can actually make you gain weight because your body is tricked into producing unneeded insulin which is stored as fat. So I experimented with various sweeteners. I'll go into more detail in a separate post, but for now suffice it to say that there's no lack of natural sweeteners, such as honey and maple syrup, in organic versions.
Passover
I bought kosher organic grape juice that I'd finally found at Whole Foods awhile before that. However, my husband requested wine. I could not find a wine that was both kosher and organic so I resigned myself to getting Israeli wine. If it wasn't organic, at least I could support Israel with my wine purchase instead of Kedem.
Whole Foods actually had kosher organic matzah and matzah meal that were also whole wheat, amazingly enough, so that was that.
Hubby requested a couple of things -- horseradish and marshmallows -- that simply did not exist in kosher and organic versions. I complied like a good wife.
Other food wasn't a problem; I just had to make sure everything was up to the strict standards for Passover, i.e. nothing with leavened bread.
Gotta draw the line somewhere
At this point, I still accept food that someone gives me, is provided free at an event, etc. even if it's not organic. I'll eat Noah's Bagels still, for example, if someone else pays. I admit that free food is a weakness of mine, but it's also important to me to not look a gift horse in the mouth. As it is, my husband has local relatives who don't keep kosher, and it's hard enough for them to give us food that's ok, without making them also give us only organic food. I'll also use up non-organic food I had from before my transition, and I'll also use something non-organic that I bought accidentally. It's still food, an it's important to me not to waste.
Conclusion
While organic food has become important to me, and indeed most of the food I eat nowadays is organic, sometimes something else that's important to me trumps my desire to eat organic. I don't want to beat myself up over not eating 100% organic. As much as I can do is good. I don't have to throw in the towel when I encounter a snag.
Finally, after almost two months, here's the promised story of my transition to buying organic. I have this post that I saw posted on this Facebook Page to thank for motivating me to finally write this. It's going to be long so I'm going to divide it into sections. Here goes:
My first shopping trip upon going organic
I was already going to Whole Foods for most of my grocery shopping, so I continued there. I thankfully live within walking distance of the Whole Foods at Roosevelt Square. The only difference was I had to look for that "USDA Organic" symbol, besides looking for a kosher symbol. Basically, I'd apparently made my food life twice as complicated....Or so I thought. See, several items I'd been getting for their other health benefits, such as Rena's juice-sweetened puffs, my favorite vegetable broth, and these yummy tortilla chips were already organic. Other items, such as milk, eggs, and salsa, were easily found in organic versions.
Crackers
My main struggle that trip was finding crackers that would be acceptable to my husband but also healthy and organic. He had been used to eating a specific variety of Triscuits but unfortunately they are not organic. To complicate matters, there were for some reason two sections with crackers, which I didn't know at first. In the first, small section I found exactly one brand that was kosher and organic....but otherwise not up to my dietary standards. I thought, these can't possibly be the only crackers in the store! I asked an employee where I could find crackers, and she directed me to another aisle. Phew! Here I had some trouble as well. I found so many organic crackers but they weren't kosher. Finally I found one called Mary's Gone Crackers that was labeled both organic and kosher. Fun name, but were they healthy? Yes, whole grains and no sugar. I brought them home to hubby....Yum! :)
P.S. The next day I found other crackers called Two Moms in the Raw that Rena and I liked better.
Produce
Organic versions of my usual fruits and vegetables are readily available at Whole Foods. However, I decided to join an organic CSA that would deliver to my door, just for convenience. Full Circle Farm packs up a box for us every week with organic produce from their own farm and partner farms and delivers it to our apartment at some point on Thursday nights or early Friday morning. I love it because I don't have to think about my weekly fruits and vegetables if I don't want to, but if I want to change anything there's a window of opportunity. I could also tell them never to give me something if I don't want it. Customer service is great, always responding to your questions and comments. They'll even give you a credit if you're not completely satisfied with all your received produce, if you ask. They even called a couple weeks to make sure I got my box, since the deliverymen couldn't be buzzed in. All this for $46 a week, for a family order. I always end up buying other fruit because hubby and Rena eat TONS of fruit (and I barely get any!). Also there are a lot of greens, which sometimes spoil before I get to use them all. This is good, though, because I'm encouraged to get used to using more greens.
Also I love that it comes so close to Shabbat so I get fresh produce for Shabbat! :)
Meat
I wanted to make a meat dish for Friday night Shabbat dinner right after my organic transition, but I couldn't find any locally. Help! I resorted to making a vegetarian meatloaf in the hopes that hubby wouldn't even realize it was fake. Funny thing was, I realized as I went to serve it that it happened to be April Fool's Day, so even if he figured it out, it would just be an April Fool! Well, he didn't, and not only that but it came out awesome and he said it was deli-quality meatloaf! :) Unfortunately when I made it next time it didn't come out so good -- I think I just got lucky the first time because tofu isn't usually the best thing in the world -- so after that I just got regular kosher ground meat. As for chicken, for the following Shabbat I went online to search for kosher organic meat, as QFC only rarely has Empire Organic chicken. I tried ordering but they wouldn't even process my order for a single chicken because shipping costs would have been exorbitant! I'd promised hubby chicken for Shabbat so I had to run to QFC and get a regular kosher chicken. Hubby also likes when I get the precooked kosher chickens but unfortunately those aren't organic either. I once tried making General Tzo's Tofu in the hopes that hubby wouldn't realize it was tofu not chicken, but he could totally tell the difference because it didn't come out good. My only hope of avoiding non-organic meat of any kind is to make it to QFC right when they've just gotten a shipment of Empire organic chicken. They get so little so rarely that it's snapped up immediately. They supposedly get it every two weeks on Mondays, but last time I was told it was coming on Tuesday and then it was late. I've basically given up on that. In short, I'm resigned to eating non-organic meat, at least while living here in Seattle. If it were just me I might go vegetarian, but I can't do that with my hubby who goes nuts after just a few days without meat.
Fish
According to my Internet research, wild-caught is really the best way to go, even better than organic fish. So I called Whole Foods again to find out what wild-caught fish they had and found a recipe accordingly. I've also gotten wild-caught canned tuna and salmon.
Cheese
I had a big problem with cheese, as there didn't seem to be any available locally that was both kosher and organic. Initially I tried making my own but I could only make a soft cheese which is simple and doesn't need rennet, a thermometer, etc. I made Paneer cheese. Hubby and I liked it for a bit but then he got tired of it. I spent more long hours on the internet, and it turned out that a couple brands, including Tillamook Cheddar that's found at Whole Foods, were actually organic and kosher thought they didn't advertise that on their packaging or website. Though it's a bit annoying that I can only get cheddar but no mozzarella, parmesan, or others, I can't complain too much because I do get to have cheese. There's also kosher organic cream cheese, cottage cheese, etc. I love the brand Nancy's because it tastes good and it's cultured. Also Nancy's sells giant containers of yogurt which is wonderful because my husband is currently on a fruit-and-yogurt kick. (Please note, not all Nancy's products are organic so you have to make sure the package says organic when you buy.)
Sweeteners
I had been using Truvia, but it's not organic. Also I'd heard that it can actually make you gain weight because your body is tricked into producing unneeded insulin which is stored as fat. So I experimented with various sweeteners. I'll go into more detail in a separate post, but for now suffice it to say that there's no lack of natural sweeteners, such as honey and maple syrup, in organic versions.
Passover
I bought kosher organic grape juice that I'd finally found at Whole Foods awhile before that. However, my husband requested wine. I could not find a wine that was both kosher and organic so I resigned myself to getting Israeli wine. If it wasn't organic, at least I could support Israel with my wine purchase instead of Kedem.
Whole Foods actually had kosher organic matzah and matzah meal that were also whole wheat, amazingly enough, so that was that.
Hubby requested a couple of things -- horseradish and marshmallows -- that simply did not exist in kosher and organic versions. I complied like a good wife.
Other food wasn't a problem; I just had to make sure everything was up to the strict standards for Passover, i.e. nothing with leavened bread.
Gotta draw the line somewhere
At this point, I still accept food that someone gives me, is provided free at an event, etc. even if it's not organic. I'll eat Noah's Bagels still, for example, if someone else pays. I admit that free food is a weakness of mine, but it's also important to me to not look a gift horse in the mouth. As it is, my husband has local relatives who don't keep kosher, and it's hard enough for them to give us food that's ok, without making them also give us only organic food. I'll also use up non-organic food I had from before my transition, and I'll also use something non-organic that I bought accidentally. It's still food, an it's important to me not to waste.
Conclusion
While organic food has become important to me, and indeed most of the food I eat nowadays is organic, sometimes something else that's important to me trumps my desire to eat organic. I don't want to beat myself up over not eating 100% organic. As much as I can do is good. I don't have to throw in the towel when I encounter a snag.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Buy organic food!
Cross posted on Environmental Tip of the Week
Yes, it tends to be more expensive but organic growing practices are much better for the environment, and for health as well. Of course, the environment and health are connected. Folks, I just learned that workers at non-organic ("conventional") farms have died due to constant exposure to chemicals!
Where to buy organic food? A lot of regular grocery stores, like my QFC at University Village, now carry some. You can also check out Whole Foods if there's one near you. Don't forget to look around you for small, local organic stores. Google it if you can't find any organic food nearby just from browsing at your regular grocery store or walking (or riding) around outside. Look for specials if you can; sometimes an organic item will be marked down to the same price as a non-organic, or even lower.
What about kosher organic? A lot of packaged items that are marked organic also have kosher certification. Of course, fresh fruits and veggies are kosher in any case, though I know some people are very careful about lettuce and such. You might have trouble finding meat that's both kosher and organic. If there's none available where you live, you can order online. (They seem to be out of stock or almost out of stock for a number of items. People have probably placed their orders already for Passover. Also it's expensive, even before shipping costs are added on. But you don't have to eat meat every day!)
Yes, it tends to be more expensive but organic growing practices are much better for the environment, and for health as well. Of course, the environment and health are connected. Folks, I just learned that workers at non-organic ("conventional") farms have died due to constant exposure to chemicals!
Where to buy organic food? A lot of regular grocery stores, like my QFC at University Village, now carry some. You can also check out Whole Foods if there's one near you. Don't forget to look around you for small, local organic stores. Google it if you can't find any organic food nearby just from browsing at your regular grocery store or walking (or riding) around outside. Look for specials if you can; sometimes an organic item will be marked down to the same price as a non-organic, or even lower.
What about kosher organic? A lot of packaged items that are marked organic also have kosher certification. Of course, fresh fruits and veggies are kosher in any case, though I know some people are very careful about lettuce and such. You might have trouble finding meat that's both kosher and organic. If there's none available where you live, you can order online. (They seem to be out of stock or almost out of stock for a number of items. People have probably placed their orders already for Passover. Also it's expensive, even before shipping costs are added on. But you don't have to eat meat every day!)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Gratitude to Bliss Project, Day 2
Cross posted in The Daily Yay!
It's important to set your intention. Please take a moment to think about and write down what you are hoping to get out of your participation in this project.
My response: I hope to gain a more positive outlook on life by emphasizing the good things in life, and a greater love for G-d for having given me this wonderful gift of life.
Now, on to today's list of five yays:
1. Another day of life. As part of daily Jewish practice, we say a prayer first thing in the morning thanking G-d for returning our soul.
2. Hubby woke up at 5-something in the morning and asked what time it was. We don't have a clock in our bedroom so I reached for my cell phone, which serves as my time piece for the night. I couldn't find it next to the bed, so I used hubby's iPhone to call it and found it in my purse in the closet by the front door of our apartment. Yes, I could have checked the time on the iPhone, but you see, my phone also serves as our morning alarm. I'm grateful that he woke up before we had to get him ready to go to work because without the alarm next to my bed we probably would have overslept. Sure, this happens occasionally, but this is a new job that he started a few weeks ago and it would have made a bad impression.
3. I had the best, healthiest breakfast ever this morning! I started by pouring some Ezekiel 4:9 Almond cereal into a bowl. This was the first time I'd tasted it; I'd found it at Whole Foods yesterday where I'd taken the opportunity to do some shopping because I'd gone to a shoe store nearby to buy hubby new sneakers. I though it tasted kind of like Grape Nuts so it needed something extra. Last night, I'd taken some medjool dates and mixed them with unsweetened cocoa into a doughy ball to make a quick dessert for hubby. (I'd made and enjoyed some for myself for lunch during the day and he said it sounded yummy.) I got the idea from a Yahoo! article I read awhile ago, believe it or not, that suggested rolling dates in cocoa. There was some left over so I broke it into small pieces and mixed it with the cereal, then I poured fat free milk over it. I savored every bite! :)
4. My parents- Even though I'm an adult living far away, they still concern themselves with me, keep me updated on their lives, and take interest in what I've been up to.
5. Lots of healthy snacks from Whole Foods, in addition to the cereal!
-Raw Revolution Cashew and Agave Nectar (I got a box of ten bars cuz they're so good!)
-Food Should Taste Good Jalapeno tortilla chips
-365 Everyday Value Thick & Chunky Salsa to go with the tortilla chips
-three healthy varieties of Snyder's of Hanover pretzels:
-whole wheat and oat
-8 grains and seeds
-honey whole wheat (we haven't tried these yet but I'm grateful for the opportunity to try a new flavor!)
-Flamous Organics Falafel Chips (I got the spicy ones this time; another new flavor opportunity!)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Dancing: Great Fun and Great Exercise! :)
Cross posted on The Daily Yay!
I recently saw this video of the staff of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, the world's largest nutrition school, taking a dance break in the middle of their work day:
Today, while home with Rena and doing some work for my online shop, I felt really energized after eating some quinoa and mushroom skillet for lunch. I decided to take a half hour to turn on some music and dance while playing around with Rena. Sorry, there's no video of us because I can't really video while dancing and hubby is away at work during the day.
What fun I had! It made me really happy; in fact, I could pinpoint the exact moment the endorphins started to kick in. I think I'll be incorporating a half-hour dance break into my regular routine, at least on days I don't walk anywhere; i.e. days I neither go grocery shopping at QFC or Whole Foods, nor to synagogue for Shabbat services. It's much more enjoyable, and I get the chance to express myself freely and work my whole body. You can try it now, if you're alone or at least at home or another place where people won't be bothered: Press play on the above video or your favorite dance music, then get up and DANCE! :)
I recently saw this video of the staff of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, the world's largest nutrition school, taking a dance break in the middle of their work day:
Today, while home with Rena and doing some work for my online shop, I felt really energized after eating some quinoa and mushroom skillet for lunch. I decided to take a half hour to turn on some music and dance while playing around with Rena. Sorry, there's no video of us because I can't really video while dancing and hubby is away at work during the day.
What fun I had! It made me really happy; in fact, I could pinpoint the exact moment the endorphins started to kick in. I think I'll be incorporating a half-hour dance break into my regular routine, at least on days I don't walk anywhere; i.e. days I neither go grocery shopping at QFC or Whole Foods, nor to synagogue for Shabbat services. It's much more enjoyable, and I get the chance to express myself freely and work my whole body. You can try it now, if you're alone or at least at home or another place where people won't be bothered: Press play on the above video or your favorite dance music, then get up and DANCE! :)
Monday, January 3, 2011
Say no to disposable water bottles!
Cross posted on Environmental Tip of the Week
These reusable water bottles by the FlyLady are expensive but worth
the price. Mine doesn't leak! Think about how much money you'll save
by not buying disposable bottles before you decide these are too
expensive. If you must buy a cheaper one, Bed Bath and Beyond is
ubiquitous and carries water bottles. If you're in New York,
Whole Foods has them, and I got two cheap plastic water bottles from
Modell's for about three or four bucks apiece (though plastic isn't
really the best choice for the environment or your health).
Don't want to drink tapwater? Try a Culligan water filtration system.
I don't own one but I once attempted to do door to door sales for the
company. Though many of their models are for businesses, they do have
smaller machines for use at home. Some other major brands have
similar systems; I recommend shopping around to get the features,
price, and service you want. Just fill your reusable bottle with your filtered
water, and you're good to go!
These reusable water bottles by the FlyLady are expensive but worth
the price. Mine doesn't leak! Think about how much money you'll save
by not buying disposable bottles before you decide these are too
expensive. If you must buy a cheaper one, Bed Bath and Beyond is
ubiquitous and carries water bottles. If you're in New York,
Whole Foods has them, and I got two cheap plastic water bottles from
Modell's for about three or four bucks apiece (though plastic isn't
really the best choice for the environment or your health).
Don't want to drink tapwater? Try a Culligan water filtration system.
I don't own one but I once attempted to do door to door sales for the
company. Though many of their models are for businesses, they do have
smaller machines for use at home. Some other major brands have
similar systems; I recommend shopping around to get the features,
price, and service you want. Just fill your reusable bottle with your filtered
water, and you're good to go!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
More Apple Adventures
cross posted on Kosher Cuisine
I step inside the front entrance, unlock the next door with my key dangling from my neck, and enter the dim, narrow hallway. I gingerly make my way to the machine that will prove I'm here at work today and clock in....
...I leave my stuff in my office, as usual. It's another typical Sunday at my job working with people with developmental disabilities. While I serve breakfast, some consumers ask, as usual: "Are you doing computers today?" I answer, "Probably."
Or is it a typical Sunday? The supervisor in charge today announces, "We're going apple-picking today!" My face lights up at this opportunity to take my people outside and pick some fresh fruit right off the trees!...
...As we walk and pick through the pick-your-own apple "store" at Wilkens Farm, concentrating on finding the best apples, the usual arguing, fighting, and teasing amongst the consumers at my program gradually fall away and we just enjoy the experience. I raise my arms with our picking pole, successfully knocking an apple into the basket; and another staff teases me by asking me to get an apple that's too high up for me to reach. I'm having such a wonderful time that the supervisor photographs me holding the picking pole up to a treetop!
How incredible it is to say the blessing "Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the tree," then bite into a beautiful, juicy apple bursting with sweetness half a second after taking it off, with my own hand, the tree on which it grew!...
...I surprise my husband with a bagful of apples. I say to him, "Good thing I didn't buy apples already!" I use one large apple to make my promised apple honey pie (with fat-free plain yogurt), a recipe that I found one year right before Rosh Hashana to use instead of the traditional apple slices dipped in honey....
...My husband eats a few apples over the next couple of days; I use the rest to make applesauce that I use to make another baby cake (see previous post). Pancakes (made with whole wheat flour and with Truvia instead of sugar) are next, with the leftover applesauce used instead of margarine in the recipe, instead of canola oil for frying, and served on top. Yum!...
...We buy more apples. Good, because my husband has requested granola for breakfast (which I make with Truvia instead of sugar and instead of brown sugar; and without vanilla or cooking spray and just a small amount of almonds since those can get expensive), and I always serve it with fruit! I will layer two bowls -- one for me and one for my husband -- with one serving of granola, an apple cut in small chunks, and -- oops, we forgot raisins -- a banana instead of raisins. I pour fat-free milk into both bowls. My husband has also eaten his granola with watermelon and raisins, and also with pineapple and raisins; but granola with an apple and banana is my favorite so far!
What else could I make with apples or applesauce? Please leave comments with your suggestions!
I step inside the front entrance, unlock the next door with my key dangling from my neck, and enter the dim, narrow hallway. I gingerly make my way to the machine that will prove I'm here at work today and clock in....
...I leave my stuff in my office, as usual. It's another typical Sunday at my job working with people with developmental disabilities. While I serve breakfast, some consumers ask, as usual: "Are you doing computers today?" I answer, "Probably."
Or is it a typical Sunday? The supervisor in charge today announces, "We're going apple-picking today!" My face lights up at this opportunity to take my people outside and pick some fresh fruit right off the trees!...
...As we walk and pick through the pick-your-own apple "store" at Wilkens Farm, concentrating on finding the best apples, the usual arguing, fighting, and teasing amongst the consumers at my program gradually fall away and we just enjoy the experience. I raise my arms with our picking pole, successfully knocking an apple into the basket; and another staff teases me by asking me to get an apple that's too high up for me to reach. I'm having such a wonderful time that the supervisor photographs me holding the picking pole up to a treetop!
How incredible it is to say the blessing "Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the tree," then bite into a beautiful, juicy apple bursting with sweetness half a second after taking it off, with my own hand, the tree on which it grew!...
...I surprise my husband with a bagful of apples. I say to him, "Good thing I didn't buy apples already!" I use one large apple to make my promised apple honey pie (with fat-free plain yogurt), a recipe that I found one year right before Rosh Hashana to use instead of the traditional apple slices dipped in honey....
...My husband eats a few apples over the next couple of days; I use the rest to make applesauce that I use to make another baby cake (see previous post). Pancakes (made with whole wheat flour and with Truvia instead of sugar) are next, with the leftover applesauce used instead of margarine in the recipe, instead of canola oil for frying, and served on top. Yum!...
...We buy more apples. Good, because my husband has requested granola for breakfast (which I make with Truvia instead of sugar and instead of brown sugar; and without vanilla or cooking spray and just a small amount of almonds since those can get expensive), and I always serve it with fruit! I will layer two bowls -- one for me and one for my husband -- with one serving of granola, an apple cut in small chunks, and -- oops, we forgot raisins -- a banana instead of raisins. I pour fat-free milk into both bowls. My husband has also eaten his granola with watermelon and raisins, and also with pineapple and raisins; but granola with an apple and banana is my favorite so far!
What else could I make with apples or applesauce? Please leave comments with your suggestions!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
"Cheese"burgers and "Pepperoni" Pizza
Cross posted on Kosher Cuisine
My husband, who did not grow up keeping kosher, reminisces about cheeseburgers, pepperoni pizza, shellfish, and other delicacies he hasn't tasted in years. I wonder: What can I make for Shabbat this week to bring back those memories for him in a kosher way?
This week at Fairway, I head upstairs to the section with the soy products. It's incredible: One can buy so many foods made with soy that look and taste like meat or dairy but are actually completely parve! Sure, I've used soymilk in my meatballs recipe that calls for milk -- but oh, the possibilities of soy! I can buy any of several soy cheeses: cheddar, nacho, mozzarella....I pick mozzarella to make "cheese"burgers. Having never had a cheeseburger in my life (I grew up mostly kosher, so I never had anything that was a clear no-no), I have no clue what's the best cheese for a cheeseburger. Maybe I'll use cheddar next time. All I know is that I'll slice the soy cheese and melt the slices on top of the meat once it's been mostly cooked into burgers, according to my husband.
Ok, that takes care of one meal. I'm thinking for the other meal I'll do a pizza with real cheese and some kind of fake meat made of soy. Let's see what there is....OMG, there's fake pepperoni! Perfect! I'll make my pizza crust (with whole wheat flour, of course), spread it with sauce (I use spaghetti sauce), and lay the pepperoni slices over it. I can still use my usual cheesy veggie pizza recipe for the veggies this time, and perhaps I'll just put some mushrooms over the "pepperoni" next time for a change.
Wow, my husband is going to be so happy this Shabbat!
My husband, who did not grow up keeping kosher, reminisces about cheeseburgers, pepperoni pizza, shellfish, and other delicacies he hasn't tasted in years. I wonder: What can I make for Shabbat this week to bring back those memories for him in a kosher way?
This week at Fairway, I head upstairs to the section with the soy products. It's incredible: One can buy so many foods made with soy that look and taste like meat or dairy but are actually completely parve! Sure, I've used soymilk in my meatballs recipe that calls for milk -- but oh, the possibilities of soy! I can buy any of several soy cheeses: cheddar, nacho, mozzarella....I pick mozzarella to make "cheese"burgers. Having never had a cheeseburger in my life (I grew up mostly kosher, so I never had anything that was a clear no-no), I have no clue what's the best cheese for a cheeseburger. Maybe I'll use cheddar next time. All I know is that I'll slice the soy cheese and melt the slices on top of the meat once it's been mostly cooked into burgers, according to my husband.
Ok, that takes care of one meal. I'm thinking for the other meal I'll do a pizza with real cheese and some kind of fake meat made of soy. Let's see what there is....OMG, there's fake pepperoni! Perfect! I'll make my pizza crust (with whole wheat flour, of course), spread it with sauce (I use spaghetti sauce), and lay the pepperoni slices over it. I can still use my usual cheesy veggie pizza recipe for the veggies this time, and perhaps I'll just put some mushrooms over the "pepperoni" next time for a change.
Wow, my husband is going to be so happy this Shabbat!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Thursday adventure!
....Continued from previous post
....As we surge forward with the masses on the sidewalk, we pass the row of strawberries, cherries, and other fresh fruit stacked outside under the building's blue awning. Rena and I enter the door with the steps leading to the second floor. Ahh, here we are! We've finally arrived at Fairway, the super-market that has two floors! I carefully carry Rena up the stairs in her carrier. For once, I remembered to stop upstairs first so I could easily take the stairs instead of having to drag a shopping cart onto the elevator. This week, I need only soymilk from upstairs, for making meatballs. I start to grab a carton of ZenSoy because that's usually the cheapest of all the non-dairy milks there- but then the word "SALE" on some signs catches my eye. What's on sale here? I wonder. Some of the more expensive soymilks have a sale sign, but so do Blue Diamond almond milk and a rice milk. I pick the almond milk for several reasons, but mainly becaus I love almonds and expect the taste to be delicious! It's also low-calorie. I grab one and carefully carry Rena back downstairs.
We dodge the customers who are paying for their purchases as we head over to the beginning of the path that is the first floor, the vegetables. Fairway chose to have us, its loyal customers, begin our search for sustenance with the most nutritious selections! I equip myself with a shopping cart. Good, the broccoli is still 2 for $5 so I pick out two beautiful, green broccoli bunches. Refrigerated opposite the broccoli is a selection of spinach, arugula, and....Fresh herb salad! Awesome! I'll use that for my salad instead of the usual lettuce or spinach. And here, at the opposite end of the aisle, are my all-time favorite vegetables: Multiple varieties of mushrooms are sitting on the shelves, both loose and packaged, just waiting to be savored! Today I take a few of the loose, giant portabella mushrooms and grab a few handfuls of loose crimini mushrooms. Mmm, I can already taste the garlic tilapia with mushrooms....
..."Can I please have two pieces of tilapia?" One of the men working behind the fish counter picks out two nice pieces from the pile. He places them on the scale, wraps them up, and hands them to me. I toss my "catch" in my shopping cart, and we continue to the vast selection of breads -- from challah to bagels to tortillas to naan bread. I find a kosher, fresh loaf of "Bread Alone." No challah for us- we prefer natural, whole-grain bread nowadays. Now, this week I know I have to replenish our Kedem grape juice supply, as we finished the bottle last week. Rena and I head over to the kosher aisle. Which kind do I want this time? Do I want concord or blush? Let's try blush this week.
What else do I need this week? I know I'm making meatballs....Of course, I need ground meat! Should I use real ground beef for this week's meatballs, or should I use ground turkey? Well, the ground turkey is both cheaper and healthier than ground beef, so I grab a package of Kosher Valley ground turkey. I'm careful not to pick one that says ground turkey breast because those are about the same price as the ground beef. At this point, I take a break and turn on my PDA to make sure I didn't forget anything in my shopping list...Oh, oops- I forgot to get more cooking spray! So Rena and I find the aisle that holds the baking supplies. There, above the oils, is a selection of cooking spray. I choose the cheapest: Pam. I've also forgotten to get roasted edamame beans for the salad. I find these in the selection of kosher nuts, vegetable chips, etc.
Finally, with every item on my shopping list checked off, Rena and I wait in line to buy our Shabbat food at one of the express lanes. Rena remains asleep as I swipe my card and hike with her and my bagged groceries back to the subway to return home from our Thursday adventure. For now, this is how our special mommy-and-baby bonding time goes each week- But I can't wait until my Little Pie is old enough to enjoy food shopping without sleeping through the whole thing!
....As we surge forward with the masses on the sidewalk, we pass the row of strawberries, cherries, and other fresh fruit stacked outside under the building's blue awning. Rena and I enter the door with the steps leading to the second floor. Ahh, here we are! We've finally arrived at Fairway, the super-market that has two floors! I carefully carry Rena up the stairs in her carrier. For once, I remembered to stop upstairs first so I could easily take the stairs instead of having to drag a shopping cart onto the elevator. This week, I need only soymilk from upstairs, for making meatballs. I start to grab a carton of ZenSoy because that's usually the cheapest of all the non-dairy milks there- but then the word "SALE" on some signs catches my eye. What's on sale here? I wonder. Some of the more expensive soymilks have a sale sign, but so do Blue Diamond almond milk and a rice milk. I pick the almond milk for several reasons, but mainly becaus I love almonds and expect the taste to be delicious! It's also low-calorie. I grab one and carefully carry Rena back downstairs.
We dodge the customers who are paying for their purchases as we head over to the beginning of the path that is the first floor, the vegetables. Fairway chose to have us, its loyal customers, begin our search for sustenance with the most nutritious selections! I equip myself with a shopping cart. Good, the broccoli is still 2 for $5 so I pick out two beautiful, green broccoli bunches. Refrigerated opposite the broccoli is a selection of spinach, arugula, and....Fresh herb salad! Awesome! I'll use that for my salad instead of the usual lettuce or spinach. And here, at the opposite end of the aisle, are my all-time favorite vegetables: Multiple varieties of mushrooms are sitting on the shelves, both loose and packaged, just waiting to be savored! Today I take a few of the loose, giant portabella mushrooms and grab a few handfuls of loose crimini mushrooms. Mmm, I can already taste the garlic tilapia with mushrooms....
..."Can I please have two pieces of tilapia?" One of the men working behind the fish counter picks out two nice pieces from the pile. He places them on the scale, wraps them up, and hands them to me. I toss my "catch" in my shopping cart, and we continue to the vast selection of breads -- from challah to bagels to tortillas to naan bread. I find a kosher, fresh loaf of "Bread Alone." No challah for us- we prefer natural, whole-grain bread nowadays. Now, this week I know I have to replenish our Kedem grape juice supply, as we finished the bottle last week. Rena and I head over to the kosher aisle. Which kind do I want this time? Do I want concord or blush? Let's try blush this week.
What else do I need this week? I know I'm making meatballs....Of course, I need ground meat! Should I use real ground beef for this week's meatballs, or should I use ground turkey? Well, the ground turkey is both cheaper and healthier than ground beef, so I grab a package of Kosher Valley ground turkey. I'm careful not to pick one that says ground turkey breast because those are about the same price as the ground beef. At this point, I take a break and turn on my PDA to make sure I didn't forget anything in my shopping list...Oh, oops- I forgot to get more cooking spray! So Rena and I find the aisle that holds the baking supplies. There, above the oils, is a selection of cooking spray. I choose the cheapest: Pam. I've also forgotten to get roasted edamame beans for the salad. I find these in the selection of kosher nuts, vegetable chips, etc.
Finally, with every item on my shopping list checked off, Rena and I wait in line to buy our Shabbat food at one of the express lanes. Rena remains asleep as I swipe my card and hike with her and my bagged groceries back to the subway to return home from our Thursday adventure. For now, this is how our special mommy-and-baby bonding time goes each week- But I can't wait until my Little Pie is old enough to enjoy food shopping without sleeping through the whole thing!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Our First "Date" Without the Baby
A new spark of romance kindles within me as my husband and I walk hand-in-hand around Inwood, the Manhattan neighborhood we call home. Strange as it is for us to be just a couple again for a bit, at the same time I feel free skipping along the sidewalk excitedly and joking with my Sweety-Pie.
"Let's check out that new grocery store," he suggests. He is referring not to a store that is actually new but to the Fine Fare ( http://www.finefaresupermarkets.com/ ) at 4776 Broadway that I entered for the first time on December 25th because my usual local grocery store was closed for the Christmas holiday. I'm so glad to share the wondrous discovery of a new food source with my Sweetheart! I recall my pleasure at the site of a huge selection of hummus, salsa, and other dips as I stepped into the surprisingly huge supermarket and my wide-eyed amazement as I spotted the fresh fish counter and requested my usual two pieces of tilapia -- I never thought I could get fresh tilapia so close to home! He stocks up on fresh fruit moments after coming inside.
He adds a big, beautiful eggplant to our cart, saying, "How about eggplant parmesan for dinner?" ( http://www.recipezaar.com/Eggplant-Aubergine-Parmesan-Easy-39586 ) As we wander among the long rows of shelves filled with delicacies, adding some choice items to our basket, I worry out loud to my husband: "But we need mozarella cheese. We have parmesan cheese, but we're out of mozzarella and they don't have kosher cheese here." Or do they? We find the cheese section. I give it a quick glance, not expecting to find any kosher cheese, but my husband with his eagle eyes spots one product with a kosher symbol -- and it's even mozzarella! As usual, I was unduly negative, looking for reasons why our plan wouldn't work; and as usual, he proved me wrong.
So I'll be eating tonight, besides eggplant parmesan, the lesson that I should relax, be positive, and expect plans to work out. It's a lesson that I hope we can feed to our baby --though she will have to wait to taste that eggplant parmesan.
"Let's check out that new grocery store," he suggests. He is referring not to a store that is actually new but to the Fine Fare ( http://www.finefaresupermarkets.com/ ) at 4776 Broadway that I entered for the first time on December 25th because my usual local grocery store was closed for the Christmas holiday. I'm so glad to share the wondrous discovery of a new food source with my Sweetheart! I recall my pleasure at the site of a huge selection of hummus, salsa, and other dips as I stepped into the surprisingly huge supermarket and my wide-eyed amazement as I spotted the fresh fish counter and requested my usual two pieces of tilapia -- I never thought I could get fresh tilapia so close to home! He stocks up on fresh fruit moments after coming inside.
He adds a big, beautiful eggplant to our cart, saying, "How about eggplant parmesan for dinner?" ( http://www.recipezaar.com/Eggplant-Aubergine-Parmesan-Easy-39586 ) As we wander among the long rows of shelves filled with delicacies, adding some choice items to our basket, I worry out loud to my husband: "But we need mozarella cheese. We have parmesan cheese, but we're out of mozzarella and they don't have kosher cheese here." Or do they? We find the cheese section. I give it a quick glance, not expecting to find any kosher cheese, but my husband with his eagle eyes spots one product with a kosher symbol -- and it's even mozzarella! As usual, I was unduly negative, looking for reasons why our plan wouldn't work; and as usual, he proved me wrong.
So I'll be eating tonight, besides eggplant parmesan, the lesson that I should relax, be positive, and expect plans to work out. It's a lesson that I hope we can feed to our baby --though she will have to wait to taste that eggplant parmesan.
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