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All things food–real food!
Holiday Survival: Eat Well, Eat Smart!
Do you equate the holidays with food free-for-all time? Is it possible to enjoy, yet survive, holiday eating? Can you maintain your commitment to optimal health through the holidays? Yes! With a little forethought and awareness, you can eat well, eat smart, and enjoy the holidays. These sensible tips are my holiday gift to you.
Remember the basics:
- Eat 5 small meals per day. This approach to food is recommended to maintain efficient metabolism and minimize hunger, allowing for healthful food decision-making. You know what happens when you become ravenous—you will eat any and all food put in front of you!
- Choose from the plant foods. The carbohydrates from grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruit are filling. They will take up room in your stomach, perhaps diminishing the chances of choosing high fat or processed foods. Not to mention the many physical health benefits of eating plant foods, such as the antioxidant, mineral, and vitamin properties.
- Drink plenty of water. Water can be filling, and again, this may diminish hunger and allow for healthful food decision-making. You can dilute juice drinks with water, which will lower the amount of sugar and calories you take in. If you are partying, I recommend alternating water with alcoholic beverages—to prevent overdoing the alcohol as well as decrease your simple carbohydrate and calorie intake (and minimize the morning after headache…).
Survival Skills:
- Nibble on a healthy fat, 10 minutes prior to sitting down to a meal or leaving for a party to activate the satiation hormone. Examples are 1 ounce of nuts, ¼ avocado, or 1 teaspoon of nut butter; the richness of the fat, as well as the time it takes to digest, will again, displace feeling hungry and allow for healthful food choices later.
- Plan ahead, balancing your food intake for the day. If you are going to a party in the evening, choose well for your two earlier small meals and small in-between-meal snacks. If you have had an indulgent family holiday breakfast, eat lean and light for the remainder of the day.
- Arrive with a success strategy, which will allow you the permission to splurge, but to do so with intention and awareness.
- State a positive affirmation prior to arriving at the party or family dinner. Consider “I will nurture my health and eat well” or ”I intend to enjoy small tastes of my favorite foods”. Positive affirmations are very powerful and will influence the outcome of your choices.
- There is no need to deprive yourself! You might however, cruise the buffet table before taking a plate, to increase your chances for choosing wisely. Use a small plate, and take small tastes of several well-chosen foods.
- Select what you eat wisely. Combine protein and carbohydrates, such as veggies, bean salad, grain casserole, cheese, smoked fish, and chicken skewers from the buffet table. Eat these foods prior to considering desserts.
- Bring a healthy dish to share, increasing your chance to eat well.
- Move away from the buffet table. This will minimize the temptation to keep nibbling. My formula is: standing + talking + laughing + nibbling = overeating.
- Sit down to eat. Create a meal mentality. Eat slowly, savoring the distinct flavors and textures. That old adage to put your fork down between bites really does work!
- Eggnog and punch or any beverages with alcohol, when consumed sensibly are perfectly reasonable holiday choices. If you have 2 generous portions of eggnog however, you might consider modifying the food choices you make later in the evening, or better yet, have a couple of small sips of eggnog, eat well at the party, and enjoy a glass of red wine with your meal!
- Wait at least 15 minutes before selecting dessert. This trick will allow time for your brain to catch up with your stomach. You might get lucky and realize that you are not hungry for dessert! If you do have dessert, take a small piece of whatever you choose, and eat it slowly, savoring the flavor.
- Be prepared with a cheerful retort or two when the hostess, or your mother, tries to give you seconds: “What a fabulous meal, I am so satisfied”… or “Thank you, I am taking a break to make more room”…
- Brush your teeth! After you have eaten slowly, and have enjoyed each bite on your small plate, excuse yourself to the bathroom. You will change the flora of your mouth and feel less inclined to eat more food. This works! (I carry a travel toothbrush and paste with me, always!)
- If it is in your house, it will end up in your mouth! Do yourself a favor and leave the goodies to be enjoyed at the party, restaurant, or someone else’s house.
- Cultivate mindfulness to balance holiday stress. Find alternative self-soothing techniques such as intentional relaxation or regular physical activity.
Happy Holidays!
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Quiche! It’s what’s for dinner. Or breakfast. ‘Cuz it’s got a potato crust!
Who doesn’t appreciate a good quiche? Exactly! So when I posted a photo on Facebook of the local greens and eggs I was using to make 3 quiches (yep, that’s 3), and when friends asked about the recipe, I thought, “why not share this deliciousness with the rest of the world?”, which led to this photo/recipe/post!
I started with these gorgeous greens from local Evansville farmers Clint and Brandi at Aficionado Farms. This mixture of green goodness, called Energy Mix, contains small leaf kale, chard, and spinach. Because the greens were still moist having been recently picked, no oil was needed–I only had to toss them in a pan with chopped garlic and salt until they wilted.
Ah, those eggs! Isn’t the color of the yolk positively dreamy? They came from the very happy and healthy chickens on Turning Point Farm in New Harmony, IN, about 40 minutes up the road. I mixed 18 of those jewels into the sauteed greens.
To which I added whipping cream and grated cheese, so it looked liked this liquidy heaven: 
Next up was the roasting of the veggies. Easy-Peasy –> just toss veggies of your choice with olive oil and salt/pepper. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes total, stirring things up at the 10-minute mark. 
The secret to this fabulous quiche is the potato crust, which is super easy and fun to make! Shred red potatoes and purple onion in a food processor; mix with egg whites; add salt and pepper, then bake. Bam! And while the crust is baking, that’s your window to be making the filling and roasting the veggies.
The recipe below will provide the details so you too can create potato crust magic.
Layer the roasted veggies into the finished crust and ladle in the filling. Note that the filling will ooze down into the cooked crust, before more baking. That’s a good thing!
Here are the masterpieces, assembled, prior to baking.
At this point, you can either freeze the quiche to enjoy at a later time or bake it. To freeze, since one of my containers had a matching lid, it went right into the freezer. For the other quiche which was prepared in a baking dish without a matching lid, I used heavy-duty foil that I crimped at the top, after having created a “tent” in the foil. This makes it less likely that the foil will stick to that rich filling, while the quiche is freezing. I’m giving that one to a friend who has recently had a baby. She’ll simply thaw the quiche for 6 hours, then bake it. This meal, regardless of whether she eats it a 0300 or for dinner is rich with healthy fat, protein, micronutrients from the veggies, and it’s full of flavor. Not to mention love…
And, viola! this is the finished quiche, cooked to perfection! Check out the recipe, below. Enjoy! xoxo
Robin’s Quiche Recipe:
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 2 large red potatoes, grated
- 1 small purple onion, grated
- 1 egg white, beaten (add the yolk to the quiche filling)
- ½ -tsp salt
Filling:
- 4 eggs
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Sautéed greens
- Sautéed veggies
- Dill, fresh or dried
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Preheat the over to 400 degree; oil a 9-inch pie pan.
- Combine grated potato and onion, salt and egg white in a bowl, and mix well.
- Transfer to an oiled glass pie pan, pat into place, building up the sides.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then brush the crust with olive oil, and bake it for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven, and turn the temperature down to 375.
- While the crust is baking, roast or sauté the veggies lightly, and set aside. Sauté the greens, and set aside.
- Beat the eggs, add the cheese and cream, and blend well. Add the greens. Season with dill, salt and pepper.
- Remove the baked crust from the oven, line with sautéed veggies; pour over the egg mixture.
- Bake for 45 minutes, checking at 30 minutes; if the top is getting brown, cover with foil for the remaining of baking time.
- Test doneness with a sharp knife in the center; it should come out clean.
- Let the cooked quiche set for a few moments before cutting. Yum!
Tags: TEDx Evansville, Chocolate Mindfulness Exercise
A new visitor to my website has kindly pointed out that I had not posted the TEDx Talk I gave last October. Here it is — Enjoy!
Evansville Podcast — we’re talking about local, cleanly grown food!
I had the pleasure of sitting with the delightful Jason Burton several months ago to discuss the burgeoning local foods movement in Evansville, IN. Not only did we have a lot of fun, but we learned a thing or two from each other! Have a listen! https://player.fm/series/evansville-podcast/robin-mallery-river-city-food-co-op-and-heart-matters
New Pantry, Evansville
Eat Well In Your Busy Life — Evansville New Pantry!
During a recent presentation at the Evansville Bar Association, I was asked whether I provide grocery shopping tours to better explain label interpretation as well as which brands of basic pantry staples are the “best” choice; while yes, I do take folks into grocery stores as a learning opportunity, I also have this New Pantry list that I have used often in the cooking classes that I teach. Until I coordinate a grocery tour, I have embellished the New Pantry list with the brand names and/or details that I consider in my shopping.
I am a dedicated food activist, with strong feelings and opinions about supporting small companies that provide clean, healthy and nourishing foods–and have done so from their initial foray into the food market. This commitment is to be supported, as opposed to many of the corporate food giants who are only now looking at the ingredients in their products, be it GMO, organic, processed, etc. because it’s what is being asked for by consumers. By that I mean that small, organic companies have provided healthy and nourishing food because it was the right thing to do–for our health and for the health of the planet, whereas the corporate food companies care not for our health or the environment, but only for their bottom line and profits. They’ve slowly adapted to what is being asked for not out of concern for us, but because they want a piece of the profits from organic and low-processed foods.
While this list says Evansville on it, across the country, all natural foods and Co-op markets will have these products and brand names. The choices are fewer here in EVV than they were when I lived in NorCal, hence the lack of true variety in the brands that I mention.
As always, I’ll start with the suggestion of shopping at small natural foods and Co-op markets to support local commerce and local farmers. I also suggest organic whenever possible and using/buying glass containers for food whenever possible.
Grains, Breads, Starches
- Pasta: whole grain products; Bionaturae organic
- Rice: brown, wild, basmati; choose whole grain, avoid instant and quick-cook rice; buy in bulk, not in plastic sacs; Lundberg Farms
- Beans & lentils: all kinds; dried or canned, low or no sodium, no added fat; buy in bulk or cans; look for BPA-free cans; Field Day organics
- Millet
- Quinoa
- Bulghar
- Polenta (cornmeal): coarse texture for dinner, ground texture for cornbread
- Rolled oats: whole oats, not instant; Bob’s Red Mill
- Couscous
- Barley
- Bread; whole grain; Ezekiel, Alvarado Street Bakery, Dave’s, Rudi’s
- Crackers: whole grains of any type; avoid white and/or enriched flour products; Mary’s Gone Crackers or Doctor Kracker, Late July PB or cheese crackers
- Chips: Luke’s, Late July, Lundberg’s
- Cereal: 100% whole grain; note what type and amount of sweetener and oil; Ezekiel, Nature’s Path, Bob’s Red Mill
- Yams instead of potatoes
Oils & Fats
- Olive oil; Spectrum
- Coconut oil; Nutiva
- Ghee (clarified butter); Purity Farms, Organic Valley
- Mayonnaise; Spectrum
- Salad dressings: Homemade: olive oil, balsamic vinegar or lemon, and spices; plain yogurt/dill dressings; Bottled: check sodium, sweetener, and preservative content; Bragg’s
Nuts
- All types! 1 – 2 ounces Everyday! sunflower, almonds, cashews, flax, sesame, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin, brazil, and peanuts; avoid salted types or those roasted in oil
Herbs
- Cumin, black pepper, cayenne, salt, curry, dill, thyme, cardamom, nutmeg …
Meat
- All types of wild meat
- Store bought; consider organic, sustainably farmed and raised; Mumford Farms, Fischer Farms, Stonewall Farms
Dairy Products: organic whole milk products recommended
- Milk; Trader’s Point, Organic Valley (highly pasteurized)
- Yogurt without artificial sweetener or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS); Trader’s Point; Stonyfield Farms,
- Cream cheese (Organic Valley)
- Ricotta cheese (Organic Valley)
- Yogurt drinks (smoothies) without artificial sweetener or HFCS
- Butter (Organic Valley)
- Sour cream (Organic Valley)
- Crème fraiche
- Oat, goat, almond, soy, or rice milk in place of cow milk
Instead of the Meat Counter, Consider…
- Beans or lentils mixed with grains (contains all the amino acids of a complete protein)
- Fish: avoid farm-raised (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/conservation/research/seafood-watch)
- Albacore tuna, canned: packed in water, sustainably caught
- Salmon, canned: packed in water, sustainably caught
- Eggs: Local, free-range eggs from happy chickens, no antibiotics, avoid GMO feed
- Cheese: all types used as a condiment; Steckler for local source; Organic Valley
- Nut butters: grind your own type; or from a jar—without added fat or sweetener, try almond or cashew
- Soy: non GMO, fermented tempeh and miso
Condiments
- Balsamic vinegar
- Tamari (soy sauce)
- Rice wine vinegar
- Garlic-infused olive oil
- Salsa
- Nuts: walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, peanuts, in that order… 1 ounce per day!
- Mustard
- Ketchup (without HFCS)
- Pesto (home-made—it’s so easy!)
- Chutneys
- Red pepper/cashew sauce
- Jams or jellies (without HFCS)
- Sriracha sauce
- Sweet chili sauce
- Raisins and other dried fruit without sulfur
Packaged/convenience foods
- Frozen, packaged, or canned: avoid sodium over 300 mg per serving and syrup; fruit, veggies, beans
- Check for ingredients that you cannot pronounce!
- Leave it in the store: partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oil laden foods, as well as those with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn syrup solids, and artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and the multitude of other ingredients that are too difficult to pronounce; avoid caramel coloring!
The impact of plastics on hormonal and brain function in children
Early Puberty, Hypospadias, and Behavior Disorders in children related to exposure to Phthalates, via food and food containers, plastic toys, and skin care products (this was the original title, but it seemed too intense upon editing…)
After much reading and research, I sat and thought about this particular writing segment with trepidation. I returned time and again to the science, to the surprisingly scant literature regarding Phthalates (pronounced f-thalates—get familiar with the pronunciation—this is a very important issue), and felt queasy and worried and nearly overwhelmed.
Why, you wonder? I don’t want to be an alarmist, but…
I have learned a lot over the years about processed foods, the corporate greed that drives the sales and distribution of less-than-real food, and the misinformation that is perpetuated by those corporations who produce these foods and food products. While I know that there is much that I still don’t know, I am crushed by the new learnings I have gained this past week about Phthalates. And I wonder how to share what I’ve learned with others, without inviting angst and guilt, yet I clearly wish to educate the masses and raise a call to action.
Where to begin…?
I do believe that back in the day when companies were moving quickly and making great strides in development of products that would bring a heightened convenience to our lives, that good intentions were what drove the exciting discoveries of new uses of man-made synthetics and chemicals. The scientists of the day weren’t diabolically planning to bring us disease and to compromise our health. I do believe now however, that there is a suppression of the evidence regarding the potential harm from this largely unregulated exposure to synthetics and chemicals, complete with a greed element involved. There have been small scientific studies of the potential health hazards related to the relentless exposure we face, and we do not know enough at this time, yet the corporations producing these products continue to assure us of the safety of their synthetics and chemicals—even as they permeate the food chain.
I am talking about Phthalates, a group of chemicals used in the manufacturing of plastics and plastic products. Imagine the thrill those early scientists must have experienced when it was discovered that Phthalates enhanced the manufacturing of plastics by making plastic products more flexible.
Many millions of pounds of Phthalates are produced each year and 95% of Americans have measurable levels of Phthalates in their urine. Phthalates are found in:
- plastic food and beverage containers
- coating on pills
- vinyl flooring and carpet
- pesticides (which means they then enter into the food chain)
- skin care products [think baby lotions, ointments, and shampoo]
- medical supplies (IV tubing and bags, gloves, NG tubes…studies show that neonates are exposed at five-times higher the allowed daily tolerable intake—how ironic and scary is that?)
- electrical cords
- your car dashboard
- laundry detergent and
- insect repellent, just to name a few sources of our continual exposure.
Endocrine Disruptors
Perhaps most distressing is the strong correlation noted between exposure to Phthalates, known as “endocrine disruptors”, both in utero and via our daily food chain exposure. Much of the scientific analysis yields a “might increase the risk, and needs further studying” summary as the science addresses the increased incidence of asthma and allergies, ADHD, early puberty, sexual organ malformation and fertility issues—all noted in the most precious of humans, our children.
Somewhere along the way, a concern was raised regarding the risks associated with a continuous exposure to Phthalates, leading to the invention of a modified product–a low-molecular weight version Phthalates. Their low-molecular weight allowed for the assumption that these next-gen Phthalates were safer than their predecessors, and the newer version was added by the barrel-full to the skin care products used for both children and adults. The most recent data indicates that the continuous and cumulative exposure to the low-molecular weight Phthalates, has in fact, more of an endocrine disruptor effect, especially in-utero.
Early puberty
Look around at the boys and girls in our families and communities. There is evidence, although not definitive, to suggest that exposure to the “endocrine disruptors” found in many household plastics, body care products, and cleaning products has an influence over the age at which boys and girls enter into puberty. This is one of those areas that scientists agree that further studies are warranted. How about we get started on those studies? Early puberty is linked to increased risk for breast cancer as one concern, and there is much dialogue in the world of pediatric social science regarding the correlation of early puberty with early and unsafe sexual behavior.
As a side note, obesity is another contributor to early onset puberty. The correlation to an increased intake of High Fructose Corn Syrup is strong, and I will cover that in another writing session. I’m feeling too emotionally overwhelmed from these two days of research into Phthalates to dive into HFCS for the moment…But, it’s important to point out here that there is a suspected correlation between exposure to Phthalates and Insulin Resistance, which is a precursor to obesity…so the cycle continues regardless of how you look at it.
Hypospadias
Hypospadias is a condition in which the urethra within the penis of a male fetus is not properly developed, rendering the urethra to be improperly positioned away from the tip of the penis, requiring surgical repair. This occurs in 1 in 125 boys. Oh my gosh. This is a horrifying and unacceptable rate of incidence, in my opinion.
“The CDC’s analysis of the changes in the frequency of hypospadias in the United States revealed a striking pattern: the rate has more than doubled since 1970. Indeed by 1993, hypospadias was detected in one out of every 125 boys born in the United States.” Holy Moly, what a terrible statistic. And that there is a whisper of a chance that this increased incidence is related to exposure in utero to Phthalates is mind boggling. Per the CDC report, “the percentage of severe cases has increased over this time period, suggesting that other explanations should be sought.” SHOULD be sought? Pardon me, but how about if we start that information seeking right this very minute? Please and thank you.
ADHD
Everyone has heard of ADHD, a now common health concern for preschool and school-aged children, the incidence for which has risen exponentially over the decades. Is this merely a coincidence that as the exposure to chemicals in children has increased, so has the incidence of ADHD? This, from an NIH review of the literature, “CONCLUSION: The present study showed a strong positive association between phthalate metabolites in urine and symptoms of ADHD among school-age children.”
Clearly there are other contributing causes to the increased incidence of ADHD [think: preservatives, food dyes, too much sugar especially of the HFCS variety, and violent TV shows–this is my opinion of course, as the definitive science is not present at this time, but I am willing to trust my intuition on this]. But the fact that in utero and during the precious infant/toddler years, there is a known correlation between brain development/behavior issues and Phthalates is simply unacceptable.
A Call To Action
Bottom line summary, from my heart: Do I want to wait—for either definitive evidence that there is a direct connection or do I want to follow my intuition that strongly tells me that there is enough correlation already in existence to direct me away from plastics, especially those used to hold food, as well as pesticide-laden produce to minimize my exposure to Phthalates? As consumers, and especially those of you with children or thinking of having children, it seems especially prudent to research your food sources, minimize your use of plastics in the kitchen as well as in your home wherever possible, and to raise your voice actively by sharing your concerns with your family and friends, as well as with the companies that produce these products.
Next up is the research required into the hair and body care products that I personally use so I can determine whether I will keep or toss them…
Neighbors and organic greenhouse farming
Finally! We gathered in the greenhouse to officially launch this organic neighborhood suburban glassed-in farm on Saturday 1.30.15. Three families from the neighborhood with a combination of 5 children and one family friend from down the road with two more children all squeezed into the greenhouse, excitedly. Their ages ranged from 6 – 11 years old.
Getting Started
I began by explaining why I started a greenhouse — that I am concerned by the use of chemicals in the growing of our food, and that I choose to eat organically cultivated foods. Touching on not only our own personal health benefits from eating cleanly grown food but also the benefits to the water, air and soil when we grow food without chemicals, the youngest of the children piped up with, “Is what we are doing going to save the world?” I was both touched and amused by her innocent question. My answer, “yes, everything we do in this greenhouse is making the world a better place” was heartfelt and sincere.
We talked about the organic soil, which I had purchased at Worm’s Way in Bloomington, the cloth growing sacks that I had chosen for the plants to grow in, the growing pellets that were being used to start some of the seeds in their germination, and the compost tea that was dripping out of my compost barrel! As well, we talked about how the greenhouse heater worked and the hydraulic windows that opened and closed based on the greenhouse temperature.
We can have a giant neighborhood salad party!
In the weeks prior to this first neighborhood gathering, I had already planted many herbs, cherry tomatoes, okra, artichoke, cucumbers, broccoli and brussel spouts into the growing pellets and many were ready to be transplanted. As I showed the children what was already growing, and as we decided together what seeds to plant today, they became so excited! They tasted nibbles of parsley and rubbed the leaves of sage, oregano, and thyme for their heavenly smell, and that same sweet 6-year old child excitedly exclaimed, “We can have a giant neighborhood salad party!” Gotta love that youthful exuberance!
I gently split the larger veggies starts from their pellets, pointing out the root systems–cukes, artichokes, broccoli–and they took turns transplanting them into the growing sacks. Young hands tend to make broad strokes, a fact which lent itself to discussion about fragility and being gentle with tools and fingers.
The next step was placing new seeds into the new growing pellets; if you haven’t used them before, check it out here; they work well and are fun to monitor. The pellets had been soaking in water overnight and the children clambered to have their turn at “planting food”. We planted the seeds of peppers (which have not done well at my previous attempt a few weeks prior), cukes, broccoli, okra and beans and radish. Then it came time to water; of course they all wanted to use the hose; I could see immediately that my ability to finesse the hose nozzle to produce a gentle bath was not a skill set that these young hands possessed. After adjusting the hose bib and many reminders, they each were able to water some of the plants.
Eww! What’s that?
Onto the compost tea!
Initially, those kids were a bit grossed out by the drippings in the pan under the compost barrel. But when I opened the barrel in which lay many veggie scraps, and they could look inside to see that it wasn’t gross, it was just decomposing and actually smelled good–in an earthy way–they thought the idea of decomposing was very cool! Using a drippings baster, I spritzed each of the seedlings as well as the already established small plants with a bit of that hearty tea.
Worms!
One of them quickly surmised that worms would also help the soil, so off they ran on a worm hunt. Sure enough, 3 return trips yielded 5 worms, which the two youngest gently placed in separate growing sacks. We misted them with water and wished them well. Later that afternoon, those worms were nowhere to be found, leading me to believe that they are happily burrowed into the soil.
Stay tuned for an update soon!
