Cooking classes

Hey all!

I went to a cooking class the other night and while I wouldn't necessarily recommend it (so I'm not saying the name here), I did come away with some interesting tidbits and a couple of great recipes (which I probably can't share here due to copyright infringement or something)!

Tidbit 1: Kombu - a dried kelp that you should add to the cooking water for chickpeas (or any bean really) - it's really salty, but lower in sodium than actual salt - kind of like agave nectar being lower on the Glycemic Index than actual sugar even though it's just as sweet. It's what Eden Foods uses in their canned beans (and to reiterate Eden Foods is the only brand out there that has BPA-free cans! It's still cheaper to buy dried beans and cook them yourself - especially now that I have a guide on how to cook them in my slow cooker!!! More to follow on this!)

Tidbit 2: For you vegans out there - Chia Seeds - when mixed with water can be used as an egg substitute (an emulsifier) in most recipes. Who knew? 1 Tbs of Chia seeds plus 3 tbs of water = 1 egg

Tidbit 3: Nutritional Yeast can be used to make sauces 'cheesier' - so I bought some yesterday (not very expensive at all) and on the package it even says you can sprinkle it on popcorn for a cheesy tasting snack...which they did in Bermuda! (Mmmmm! I miss homemade Bermuda popcorn!!!)

Tidbit 4: Hemp seeds - no exciting news here except I had some in a recipe...don't know what their nutritional value is or anything - and I think we used it as a thickener-...they're freaking expensive though!

In other news...

I got a rice cooker! A friend was clearing house and she gave it to me - I have to admit, I have been eyeing them in the stores but couldn't justify spending money on something just to cook rice - BOY was I wrong!!!! You can cook everything in there and it also cooks rice (and lentils!) BEAUTIFULLY! I just love how you can set it and forget it (isn't that on an infomercial somewhere?) I even 'boil' eggs in there! It's magic!

And speaking of magic - my friend also gave me a Magic Bullet! (something else I've been eyeing but couldn't justify - and I was wrong about that one too!) I MAKE SMOOTHIES ALMOST EVERYDAY! I don't have to lug out my giant blender now (which died anyways so I need a new one) and I have my protein shakes anytime I want now!

I also got this book (impulse buy that I am SO HAPPY with!):



The Food Encyclopedia - IT HAS EVERYTHING! Even completely obscure stuff (I looked up za'atar for instance, which is a Middle Eastern spice) and it had it! Pawpaw, kalbi, and even kombu! Everything!

Today I am making a banana custard (in my slow cooker!!!!) and Tikka Masala (recipe from November's CE magazine!!!! So excited!!!!)

...and that's it!

What have you been up to????

More on BPA!

Click here

Live Green!

So, I went to the Conscious Food Festival yesterday and sadly, it wasn't nearly as good as last year....however I did learn about this initiative:

Live Green Toronto - sign up to get a free discount card at participating businesses in and around the GTA!
Places like Cullinarium (which I've reviewed on this here very blog!) give you stuff when you present the card...plus it's FREE to join! What are you waiting for? Go now!

:)

O-M-G

Sooooooooooooooo

We read labels right? Religiously, yeah?

When something has 1 ingredient in the list, we believe that there's just 1 thing in there...wellllll that doesn't seem to be the case!

I am disgusted and shocked!

READ THIS

In less shocking news, I gave my gimbap/veg sushi rolls a test drive for lunch today...and this is all I have to say: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I mean, they weren't bad, only 2 of them fell apart all over a dear friend and co-worker (HI DAR!) whilst I was trying to eat them - but above all- they tasted GREAT! I will definitely make them again (probably this week!) at which point you shall get an entire photo essay on my efforts!

Summer Yummies

Hi peeps!

First I just need to plug this awesome programme again: THE EAT CLEAN DIET is absolutely fabulous! I also love that the more I talk about it, the more people get interested and want to learn more! It's great! I'VE LOST SOME SERIOUS WEIGHT ON IT AND I FEEL SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD (and not hungry! and have seriously zero cravings for CRAP food!)

I was on a road trip to Québec this weekend and at most of the rest stops, they had OPTIONS! Fresh fruit, veg, yogurt...and I didn't even have to wait in line (while everyone was queued up for Tim Hortons and Burger King or whatever, I made a bee line for the "Market" store...YUM!) Vote with your dollars people....buy that banana instead of the boston cream...just saying! If you do, maybe next time they'll have APPLES! I know that alot of places don't keep fresh food on hand, because fresh food has a shelf life...but - don't you want to eat food that has a shelf life instead of one that could go through a nuclear holocaust and come out fine (I'm thinking now of that random McDonald's fry that everyone, at one point in their life or another, finds under the car seat - and even though you cannot remember the last time you actually had McD's in your car, that fry looks like it just came from the drive thru....GROSS!)

And finally, I haven't had much time to post this month as I have had visitors (HI DANIEL!) and went on a mini-vacation, and have been trying to find clean food options that require NO COOKING time (or little cooking time, and can be plopped into the freezer or fridge for consumption later). My fridge is perpetually stuffed full with fresh fruits, fresh veg (and since it's summer, I have tons of veg that can be eaten raw - super quick and yummy! Think celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, onions, spinach, mushrooms, radishes etc. Fruit, yogurt, boiled eggs blah blah blah....I am having a challenge finding sources of protein - like a big challenge...I really cannot eat that much meat & dairy (or eggs - good lord have I been eating eggs like crazy!) Animal Protein is expensive! I'm trying to eat more beans, quinoa, and tofu (even though I am seriously trying to stay away from Soy Protein) luckily the cereal I already love (Go Lean by Kashi) has ridiculously high protein for a serving...and I've been making protein "shakes" of a sort with whey protein powder, almond milk, and vanilla....it's pretty good in a pinch. Greek yogurt (which I just love for the texture and use in place of mayo) has much more protein than regular yogurt! And beans...I have been eating beans like they were going out of style...

My favorite lunch to bring to work is what I have named `THE BOWL` - I plop spinach, and some other veg in a bowl (like broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms) and then I`ll throw in some beans or quinoa (lord have mercy I finally found a good way to eat this superfood!) and sprinkle on some dressing - what kind of dressing you may ask...well that`s the easy part (and you may never buy prepared dressing again) use 1 part olive oil to 2 parts balsamic vinegar and throw in 1 part of òld fashioned`mustard (the one with the seeds) shake it up and drizzle...YUMMY! I also love to drizzle cidar vinegar on salads too - very yummy!

I also love vegetable sushi rolls - but they are expensive and it`s a challenge to find sushi made with whole-rice...so I`ve been making my own! (I`ll posst pics soon!) It`s easy and who cares if it doesn`t look perfect!? In Korea I fell in love with a "fast food" there called Gimbap/Kimpbap - which is basically a bunch of yummy goodness rolled into a sushi-like roll (only bigger) and has rice (bap) veg and protein (I know it sounds weird, but you should seriously try it with egg) rolled up in seaweed and sliced - it's like a sandwich but healthy! I wish we had Gimbap floating around here...I work in an area heavily populated by Koreans and have yet to find Gimbap (or even Bibimbap a yummy rice bowl with veg and egg - sometimes meat) weird eh?

The best summer no-cook food to date is BULGAR. A whole grain food (with some protein too!) that you can cook if you want to, but why when you can just soak it for 30 minutes in water and poof, have a great addition to the above `bowl` (I would plop in some tuna or chicken for protein). You can mix it with beans for a yummy dish...it`s wonderful and EASY (as easy as couscous!) TRY IT!

Ok,peeps, I`m off to my eye appointment - which I decided to walk to!

CONCIOUS FOOD FESTIVAL T.O.

Hey peeps:

If you've been reading this blog for over a year, you will know that I had the time of my life at last year's concious food festival....wellllllll this year promises to be a blast too! It's on August 13th & 14th....COME ON DOWN!!!! Learn all about sustainable eating and try some yummy products and maybe get to meet the author of your favorite cookbook (like I did last year! Hi Jeff Crump (From Earth To Table))

Groupon has buy 1 get the other free coupons for admission right HERE
Hope to see you all there!!!!

WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!

Hi peeps!

I haven't had time to post any new entries here because I have been busy busy busy cooking, researching/reading, and EXERCISING...yes me! The Couch Potato Personified is EXERCISING! EVERY CHANCE I GET! I'll post some details soon! This Eat Clean Diet programme is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm telling ya (again) I eat ALL the live long day, I have more energy than I know what to do with (hence all the physicaly activity)! I CLIMB THE STAIRS TO MY APARTMENT - ON THE 15th FLOOR!) I feel like a kagillion dollars and weight is falling off my body! FALLING OFF! I am surprised everytime I step on the scale and more has gone away....I thought the scale was BROKEN so I used another one...and the number was the same! It's GONE! BYE BYE!

WOOOOOHOOO! I will post pics soon! (Not of me, but of the yumminess that I have been creating in my kitchen!

Meal on the go idea!

Thanks Susie for this recipe! I will be trying it out this week!

Chickpea Antipasto

1 can (19 oz.) Unico or Cedar chickpeas, drained and rinsed (OR cook your own chickpeas! 2 2/3 cups!)
15 kalamata olives, pitted
3 roasted red peppers, cut in strips
6 artichoke hearts (jarred), broken up
3 oz Feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup Olive oil
¼ cup Lemon juice
1 tbsp Maille Dijon mustard (do not substitute another brand or kind of mustard or it will not taste right)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
Sea Salt
Fresh ground black pepper


Add chickpeas, olives, roasted red peppers and artichokes to bowl.
Gently add feta.
Blend together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and Dijon to emulsify.
Add oregano, basil, sea salt and pepper to taste.
Mix together and let sit for flavors to meld.
Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 24 hours.
Let come to room temp prior to serving.
Will keep in refrigerator for up to one week, but it tastes so good you will probably finish it well before that!

Eating Well!

So to expand on my post from yesterday...what I typically eat in a day amounts tosooooo much food I can barely finish it all! I often miss the last 'meal' because I am not hungry!

Meal 1 = oatmeal with fresh berries, 2 egg whites (either scrambled or hardboiled) water and tea
Meal 2 = Apple with plain old nut butter (either peanut or almond) water green tea
Meal 3 = chicken breast, brown rice or coucous or quinoa (quinoa also counts as a protein!) and a salad or chopped up tomato or mixed veg (you get the idea) water green tea
Meal 4 = celery with tzaziki or if I want something sweet yogurt with berries water
Meal 5 = chicken or fish or pork with a whole grain (see above meal 3)and veg water with lemon
Meal 6 = fruit or celery with cottage cheese or yogurt water

I also have managed to enter the world of smoothies and have fallen in love! If I am having a smootie for breakfast (meal 1 or 2) I throw in a scoop of natural protein powder and call it a day! Love it!

And since I don't stay at home all the live long day, I have to bring my food with me, so it takes a bit of planning. I am already a brown bagger for lunches at work, so it wasn't a huge leap to start doing it on weekends too...it's just a little awkward pulling out food every 2-3 hours when no one else is eating!

Here are some pics of meals lately...


Sunday Brunch - Frittata (with red peppers, onion, mushroom, and spinach) and spicy picante super caliente salsa, roasted potatoes, and diced cukes (because that salsa is seriously SPICY!) with ginger syrup in sparkling water.


Super caliente salsa with toasted whole grain wrap cut into 'chips'


Iced tea!


Herbed chicken and potatoes before


Herbed chicken and potatoes after (MMMM!)

Culinarium

Today I went to a cute little shop. I bought one of those voucher things online and finally got my butt over there to check them out and I am glad I did!

Culinarium was a great little shop featuring all locally sourced food. Most of it was jarred yumminess (think jams, jellies, soups, sauces, juices, marinades etc) but they had some locally sourced produce, cheeses, charcuterie products and they are also a source for meat-share programs in the GTA. (I, myself am looking into the chicken-share program FYI). I did get some yummy tomatoes (the romas were sooo ripe they were soooo soft (I had to put them in my purse instead of the bag because I was afraid they would get smooshed) and I couldn't wait to get home to make salsa with them!) and onions and shallots and granola...and this stuff called ginger syrup (made with ginger and Canadian maple syrup that I am going to DIE for when I mix it with sparkling water to make my own form of ginger beer!!! OMG CAN'T WAIT!I tasted a bit when I got home and I JUST CANNOT WAIT!) It was a great little shop with friendly and helpful staff and I will DEFINITELY be going back again to see what's up over there! I even had a little taste test which I am surprised to find that I have a palate refined enough to differentiate between locally sourced organic Ontario asparagus (from Barrie-Hill farms no less!) and organic asparagus sourced from 'somewhere-but-they-don't-know-where'...I seriously could taste the difference (it wasn't as pretty as the asparagus from 'somewhere' but my oh my did it ever taste FRESH!MMMMM!) I was pretty proud of myself! :)

Right now I am taking a break from "stocking the store" - I made FRESH SALSA (with those sexy little Romas, some beefsteaks and onion (also from Culinarium) and some incredibly HOT PEPPERS that I stupidly decided to taste a bit of and my mouth is STILL on fire! (the wine does not help, but it makes me not care!)) I have fresh herbed chicken baking in the oven, along with a beet, a sweet potato, some regular potatoes, and my FAVORITE roasted cauliflower recipe (can't find the link to my previous post at the mo', but will post it soon!) Mmmmmmmmmmm yummy!

Looking forward to posting more often int he coming days! I bought some BISON today, so look for commentary on that, as well as fish-capades galore!

And probably some posts about feeling like a nut job always packing food in my purse!

AH! I feel so revitalized! ONWARD HO!!!!!!

WOWZA!

Kamut & Quinoa Pasta with tomato, spinach, basil, chicken and YUMMINESS!



Ok, the last couple of weeks have been filled with discovery! I am soooooo excited!

I have gotten back on track with eating whole foods only, but I still wasn't 'there' yet - meaning I was missing a key point...well I found it!

I was eating the right kind of foods, but haven't been eating them the right way. I'm telling you, that is the key! First I will tell you what I have experienced in that last 2 weeks, then I will tell you the how and what.

I have had the biggest energy surge in the last 2 weeks...you do not even understand - I am constantly in need of burning off energy! I walk everywhere! And when one of the ladies at work asked me if I wanted to 'do the stairs' (we work on the 21st floor) my brain was saying "are you mad?" while my mouth said "SURE!". And ok, I am nowhere near doing 21 flights of stairs in one go, but I am getting there! I am slowly but surely getting there! All I have to say about that is I now 'bound' up the stairs at the subway which is pretty freaking awesome for someone who huffed and puffed her way before! (Lord I am just remembering Tokyo and Seoul with all their public transit stairs!)...

I feel great! I also have mysteriously lost this sweet tooth that has plagued me all my life! Craziness I tell you!

Now for the how....I was in a slump and let's be honest! Although my main goal wasn't to lose weight, I surely do need to lose some (more than normal)...I have actually gained weight since switching to whole foods, and that is not a good thing - so I decided I needed some help. As you know I read Clean Eating Magazine like it's gospel...well, they are always advertising this "Eat Clean Diet" book by Tosca Reno... and because it has the word "Diet" in it, I thought it was just a fad thing and never paid much attention to it - I have tried everything in life to 'get thin' and nothing ever helps (for the duration) so I gave that up years ago and never looked back, instead focusing on liking myself the way I am...well, I was at my favorite bookstore and decided to take a peek at this book to see what it was all about. It has the worst title ever because it isn't a 'fad diet' and it should be called "Clean Eating for LIFE" or something way better that "diet".

Egg whites with tomato, spinach ,and tzaziki on a sprouted whole grain english muffin with tea.

I read it from cover to cover - and although it isn't the greatest book in so far as the recipes are kinda crazy (specifically the portions are all messed up! but the recipe ideas are great) and the meal plan and shopping list need some review and editing, the message is AWESOME!

This was my problem: I was not getting enough protein - like, we're pretty lucky if I even got 1 serving of protein a day - the book says you need 5-6. FIVE TO SIX! The author also promotes eating 6 meals a day - yes folks SIX meals a DAY! HOLY CRAP!

I'm a grazer, so I can appreciate having to feed every few hours...obviously, I was eating the wrong stuff because although I was feeling better, I was not feeling GREAT (like I am now).

So, basically, every 2-3 hours I have a meal (obviously not a restaurant portioned meal but something pretty close!) And there is a ton of food to be eaten! Protein and a complex carb at every single sitting! Craziness! BUT IT WORKS!

Marinated lambchops with golden couscous and green beans

And obviously, the protein has to be lean protein - like chicken breast, turkey breast, tuna, white fish, beans, tofu (but not for me), etc etc etc. And the carbs have to be plant based natural carbs like fruits and veg and whole grains...but everything MAKES SENSE! It makes so much sense in fact that for the past 2 weeks I have been eating like a pig and --- here's the best part --- 10 pounds fell off my body! TEN POUNDS! I know that a healthy amount to lose in a week is 2 pounds, so to be specific I lost 8 pounds the first week and 2 pound this past week...and I am not hungry - ever- and I get to eat yummy foods all day long - and I get to have protein at every meal (I love my chicken!)

Turkey scallopini with veggie and golden couscous

GAWD! I sound like an infomercial! I don't mean to! I just wanted to say that you need to think about HOW you're eating as much as WHAT you are eating!

New link!

Hey peeps:

Just browsing the web today and was pretty excited to find out that it is ILLEGAL to give hormones to chickens in Canada - although they may still receive antibiotics!

Check out this sit called Mindful Table....pretty good info with recipes and stuff!

Enjoy!

It's Spring (today anyways!)

HAPPY SPRING!!!!!!!! OMG! I really did miss the changing of the seasons while I was away on my tropical island sojourn! (Technically 'sub-tropical island' but who's keeping track?)

I always feel like a little kid when spring is poking it's head out of the melting snow and ice! I seriously do! When it's a gorgeous day and I'm done work I always get that "I need to rush home because I want to ride my bicycle" feeling that we all had when we were kids! I, however, do not have a bicycle, and riding around the block in circles has totally lost it's appeal - so for me, that feeling is always bittersweet- and translates somewhat into "YAHOO! PATIO SEASON IS ALMOST HERE!" Which is equally exciting, but far more expensive (both health wise and wallet wise)...but I digress!

Of course the first thing that I love about spring food wise is that I get to enjoy lighter fare and cooler bevvies...like Iced Tea (or "Sweet Tea" for my favorite Southerners)...store bought mixes are chockful of stuff that isn't exactly 'tea' or 'ice'- and they have way way way too much sugar - same for the pre-mixed ready-made variety...and ice tea is seriously easy to make- it takes exactly as long to make iced tea as it takes to make a cup of hot tea - I PROMISE! (except for the icing part, which takes a little bit of extra time)

Here's what I do - in the morning, when I am boiling water for my cup of hot tea, I make extra for my iced tea. When I get out my favorite mug for my hot tea, I get out my favorite pitcher for iced tea (mine is a 1 litre glass pitcher from Ikea, that cost about 2 bucks) I put 1 black tea bag in my mug and 4 roobios tea bags in my pitcher, and since the water is still boiling at this point, I get out my Blue Agave syrup, and my (fresh squeezed) lemon juice that I always have in the fridge - when the water has boiled I pour some into my mug, and some into my pitcher...I let it brew it's yummy goodness for about 3 minutes (longer, if you like a stronger tea) then I squeeze out the tea bag in my mug (a tradition I learned from my British pals - one of whom cannot even drink a mug of tea if the tea bag has not been squeezed out - I fear they would DIE if they came to Canada and I got them a tea at Timmies with the 'bag in') and I pour some milk into my mug...and unlike most staunch tea drinkers I know, I have to let my tea cool a bit before imbibing - so I then proceed to squeeze out the tea bags in the pitcher. I add a splash of lemon juice and a good squirt of Agave (you can taste a little bit now to make sure you've put enough lemon and sweetness in - but remember that you need more for 'colder' things than you do for hot things, so made it a little too lemony and a little too sweet- but just a little!) and mix it with a wooden spoon- I don't know why, but you HAVE TO mix all pitcher related drinks with a wooden spoon or they don't come out right. Then plop that in the fridge for enjoyment a bit later and go and sip your hot tea and relax. When it comes time to serve it, pour into a glass with some big fat ice cubes. You can garnish it with a sprig of mint if you have some lying around and you want to get all Martha-Stewart-like...I rarely have mint just lying around, so I don't garnish (and let's face it, who sips on iced tea anyways? I guzzle the first half, which would render said garnish insignificant!). Et Voila! Fresh brewed iced tea for your enjoyment!

Canadians have a saying that we really only have 2 seasons - winter & construction - which is sadly true for the most part - BUT I am happy to report that my construction season is going to be a happy one! They are putting in a Whole Foods Market 1 block away from my office! I AM ECSTATIC! Now, whenever I want my Amy's Mushroom and Olive pizza, I can have it and not have to make an extra special trip down to Yorkville where I inevitably feel the need to stock up on 'the basics' like the Armageddon is approaching and I may never be near a Whole Foods Market again (luckily I only have to take 1 bus to and fro! But it's such a treck for groceries!) YIPPPEEEE!

Rising food costs...how to help!

Hey peeps:

Sooooo organic food is psycho expensive already, and regular food is getting pretty expensive too. Here's an article that gives a few tips on how to economize at the grocery store...one biggie - buy local - another biggie - avoid pre-packaged foods...

Manicotti

So, for some cheesy goodness I tried the Manicotti recipe from the most recent issue of Clean Eating Magazine...the recipe was easy enough, although a little labour intensive, and I think I dirtied every single pan and dish that I own :) It was good....but I probably won't make them again unless I am having a dinner party or something (because they do have a little bit of a 'wow' factor!) - although I probably will use elements from the recipe for other stuff...it was a good way to eat fish though, and the little bundles were way too cute and pretty :)

Uncooked


Cooked

Lentils for Lent!

So, I gather that since it's close to Easter, we're near Lent - and although I'm not big into religion, I know that usually people give something up for Lent...well, this year, instead of giving something up, why not pledge to eat more Lentils? Just sayin'....

Here's a fabulous article singing the praises of eating Lentils

And for a quick and easy way to incorporate lentils into your meal TONIGHT, why not try this recipe I just made up on Sunday because this is all I had in the kitchen and I was starving:

Jasmine rice - cook per instructions (about 9-11 minutes - nature's minute-rice) I used the ratio for 4 servings
lentils (about 20 minutes) I got a WHOLE BUNCH out of cooking 1 cup (like maybe 3 cups at the end of the day, so I froze 2 cups and kept 1 cup for the recipe below)
onions (I used 1/2 a large one), celery (1 stalk), garlic (as many cloves as you like, I used 3)
canola oil (maybe 3 tablespoons)
salt to taste

put the rice water on to boil, prep the lentils and put those on, chop up the onion, celery and garlic (or smoosh that in a press) - when the rice water starts to boil, add rice to cook (as per package directions). Heat oil is a large skillet or wok over medium heat and slowly sautee the veg....when that is done set aside - unless your rice is done, the plop in the rice and stir it all up...by now your lentils should be done - (I like mine more smooshy) - if yes, then plop about 1 cup of the lentils in with the rice mixture...then I sprinked a bit of salt and stirred it up and YUMMY! SOOOO quick and easy and good i forgot to take a pic of it because I had to eat it right then and there - I'll have to remember to grab a shot when i take the leftovers out of the freezer next time.

Sorry :(

Hi Peeps!

Sorry I haven't posted on here for a loooong time...I wish I had a plausible excuse but I don't.

This blog was set up so that I could record my adventure in switching to a whole food diet...and well, sometimes during adventures we stumble. And ok, I didn't just stumble, I fell off the wagon - and I didn't just fall off the wagon....I fell off the wagon, tumbled down a hill, plunged off a cliff, splashed into a huge lake, sank to the botttom and almost drowned! That's how far off the path to whole foods I got :) but I am happy to report that I am slowly swimming back to the top of the water again, and I will scale back up that cliff, walk back up that hill and climb back on that wagon again.

I am not so happy to report however that due to my inattentiveness (laziness) I am feeling like POOP! I am achy and tired and grumpy!!!!! AND I GAINED SO MUCH WEIGHT I AM DISGUSTED WITH MYSELF!!!!!!!

I also got really discouraged because whole food is STUPID expensive and I can't always afford the organic bananas at $1.29/lb when the non-organic variety is $0.79/lb! If I, as a single person making an okay salary can't always afford the best food - what the heck are families going to do? Or people who don't have the same grocery budget that I have...what are they going to do? I also found that I have had very little time to cook lately, and that is a huge problem when you're trying not to eat pre-packaged foods. So I am starting from scratch again. I am going to try to find a way to easily integrate a whole food lifestyle in with my 2011 self. I will buy the non-organic bananas and deal with it. :)

I hope you guys are doing well! There's a super YUMMY recipe for manicotti in this month's issue of clean eating magazine and I cannot wait to try it (even if it has FISH in it!)....that's step 1 of getting back on track!

Missed you!