// Latest

See All
emilyplayscello Happy New Year! Jan 6, 2009 7:10 AM Happy 2009! I wish all of you happy and healthy new year. The new year is a great time to recommit to your health, diet, or exercise regime. In terms of my book... I'm sorry to say that the publishing process is still delayed. The LifeTips company, which will be publishing my book, is working on a number of books at this time. I was hoping to have the book out for the holidays, but now it seems it'll serve as a good tool for those wanting to improve their diet for the new year. I'll always put the most recent information about the book on the blog. Hopefully we'll have good news soon. Thanks again for reading, and remember, I'll always take your food-related questions! Be well, Emily
emilyplayscello This Year's Thanksgiving Dinner Nov 28, 2008 9:18 PM I hope everyone had a nice holiday. I had the honor of cooking dinner for a small group of four people. The meal was vegetarian (actually vegan, except for one dessert), mostly organic, with no added sugar and nothing refined. The appetizer was root vegetable soup and pumpkin biscuits . Root Vegetable Soup was made by steaming one large sweet potato, parsnips, and carrots, and sautéeing onions and garlic. All were combined with vegetable broth in a blender, adding some sesame tahini and salt to taste. Then it's transferred to a pot on the stove and I added thyme and basil. I make a soup like this about once a week and experiment with different combinations of vegetables and herbs. The recipe for Pumpkin Biscuits was taken from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. I adjusted it slightly. - 2 cups alternative flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)' - 1 tablespoon baking powder - 3/4 teaspoon salt - 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice - 3/4 cup canned pumpkin - 1/2 cup soy milk or milk alternative - 3 tablespoons coconut oil - 1 tablespoon agave nectar and 1 teaspoon maple flavoring, or 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees; oil a baking sheet and set aside. 2. Combine dry ingredients and combine wet ingredients separately. 3. Combine dry and wet; do not overmix. 4. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Use biscuit cutter or small drinking glass to cut into 2-inch rounds and place on baking sheet. Re-roll scraps and make more until dough is finished. 5. Bake on center oven rack about 12 to 14 minutes. Dinner was (starting from top right) rosemary roasted vegetables, mashed yams, sautéed swiss chard and kale, green beans and asparagus with pine nuts, walnut avocado salad, and qunioa . Rosemary Roasted Vegetables This is a great, simple way to use all the delicious root vegetables that are in season right now. I used a combination of sweet potato, parsnips, carrots, zucchini, and onion. I pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, chop the vegetables to desired size, and coat in olive oil, salt, and rosemary. The easiest way to do this is by putting a few chopped vegetables in a plastic bag and adding the oil, salt, and rosemary. Seal the bag and shake it around to ensure the vegetables are fully-coated. Put on baking sheet and bake for 10-25 minutes to desired browness. Mashed Yams Yams and sweet potatoes, surprisingly, are much healthier than white or red potatoes. They are a greater source of vitamin K and provide more fiber. Their glycemic load is much smaller which means they keep blood sugar levels balanced. I chop and steam garnet yams for about 20-25 minutes, until tender. You can also boil them, but some nutrients are lost in the water by this method. Once done, I mash and add a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, cinnamon, and fresh sage. The sage is a nice touch, but these are sweet and delicious without it as well. I leave the skins on as they are a good source of fiber and nutrients. Sautéed Kale and Swiss Chard Leafy greens are one of the healthiest, most nutrient-dense foods you can eat. This is an easy way to prepare them and is quite delicious, even to those who aren't vegetable lovers. Chop swiss chard and/or kale, and sauté in olive oil with chopped onion and 2-3 pressed cloves of garlic. Cook until leaves have softened and reduced (but don't overcook) and add sea salt. Green Beans and Asparagus with Pine Nuts Pine nuts are a delicious addition to this dish, but they are quite expensive. Slivered almonds would be a fine substitute. Trim green beans and break off white bottoms of asparagus. Steam for about 10 minutes, just until slightly softened. Transfer to a pan with toasted sesame oil, add pine nuts, and cook until lightly browned. Spray with Bragg's Liquid Aminos (a soy sauce substitute sold at health food stores) or add sea salt once cooked. Walnut Avocado Salad This salad was made with baby spinach as the leafy base. You could substitute any dark lettuce. Dark greens are more nutritious than light lettuces like iceberg. Then add chopped onion, shredded carrot, cherry tomatoes, cubed avocado, walnuts, and top with walnut oil and lemon juice. If you can't find walnut oil, olive oil works well, too. Quinoa Quinoa, once a mysterious grain, is gaining in popularity. It has a texture like ultrafine couscous, but it is truly superior. It has a very high concentration of protein and fiber, and is gluten-free. It is technically not a grain, so those who limit their carbohydrates or grain intake can enjoy quinoa in moderation. It is cooked 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water or broth for about 12 minutes. I topped with olive oil and sea salt. Dessert was pumpkin pie, mixed berry pie, carrot cake, and date bites . Pumpkin Pie This is so simple to make and a much healthier alternative to sugar-laden pumpkin pies. Powdered stevias vary in strength; in this recipe I used SteviaPlus brand. I also use pre-made spelt pie crusts, available at health food stores. A pre-made whole wheat crust would work, too. - 1 pre-made pie crust - 2 cups canned pumpkin - 1 cup unsweetened milk alternative - 2 TBS tapioca starch, available at health food stores, or corn starch - 3 TBS coconut oil - 2 TBS SteviaPlus powdered stevia - about 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice - dash sea salt Combine all ingredients in the blender. Pour into pie crust and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Let cool completely and refrigerate. Mixed Berry Pie This pie also uses SteviaPlus powdered stevia and a pre-made spelt pie crust. This pie is deliciously rich and intense with berries. I buy frozen berries because they're just as good and far less expensive; just be sure to let them thaw. Mixed Berry Pie - 4 cups blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries - 1/2 cup whole wheat flour - 2 TBS unsweetened almond milk - 3/4 TBS SteviaPlus powdered stevia - cinnamon, to taste 1. Combine 3 1/2 cups of berries with flour, almond milk, stevia, and cinnamon and blend in blender. Add more almond milk if mixture does not seem wet enough. 2. Once it reaches a homogeneous consistency, add mixture to pie crust and use extra 1/2 cup of berries to cover. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. 3. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes and let cool. Carrot Cake This recipe uses cashews to make an incredible, sweet frosting. It also uses stevia concentrate powder, which is the most concentrated stevia powder available. - 2 cups alternative flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour) - 1 TBS baking powder - 1/2 tsp salt - 1/2 tsp stevia concentrate powder - 1/4 cup chopped walnuts - 2 eggs - 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 TBS coconut oil - 1 1/2 cup grated carrot - 1/2 cup grated zucchini - 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk - 1 cup plain full-fat greek yogurt - 1 TBS pumpkin pie spice 1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Combine all moist ingredients, adding eggs last. 3. Combine dry ingredients and mix with wet. 4. Bake for 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Cashew Frosting: - 1 cup cashews - 1/2 cup (or more) unsweetened almond milk - liquid stevia or agave nectar 1. In a food processor, grind cashews finely. 2. Add liquid and continue to process. Add a few drops liquid stevia or drizzle agave nectar to taste. 3. Purée to desired texture and spread on cake. Sesame Date Bites and Chocolate Coconut Date Bites These are an easy, no cook dessert. Sesame Date Bites: - pitted dates - 1 TBS sesame tahini - 1 TBS (or less) agave nectar - cinnamon - sesame seeds - raw almonds Combine tahini, agave, and sprinkle cinnamon. Place a raw almond inside a pitted date. Roll in tahini mixture and roll in sesame seeds. Refrigerate for about an hour. Chocolate Coconut Date Bites - pitted dates - 2 TBS coconut butter - 1 TBS (or less) agave nectar - unsweetened cocoa powder, to taste, about 2 TBS - unsweetened shredded coconut - raw almonds Combine coconut butter, agave, and cocoa powder. Add warm water to achieve desired consistency. Place an almond in the pitted date and roll in chocolate coconut paste. Roll in shredded coconut and refrigerate for about an hour. I hope your Thanksgiving was happy and healthy. Try these recipes out and let me know what you think! Eat well, Emily
emilyplayscello Thanksgiving 2008 Nov 27, 2008 8:17 AM Happy Thanksgiving! I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday. I'm hosting my family and cooking dinner again this year, so you can expect pictures and a post all about my food and recipes within the next week. Enjoy the holiday! -Emily
emilyplayscello Book Update Nov 10, 2008 1:36 PM Hi everyone, I've got a small update on the "Healthy Eating" book I'll be putting out. As of now, it seems the book will be published sometime in December , however, it wont become available on Amazon or BarnesandNoble.com until a month or so later. Fortunately, I plan on ordering a shipment of books and I will be happy to sell the books personally until they're more widely available. Stay tuned for more updates, and keep eating well! -Emily
emilyplayscello Oatty Nutty Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup and Cashew Cream Oct 19, 2008 1:59 PM Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long without any posts. My book is a bit delayed in the publishing process but I'm hoping it will still be available by this December. I'll give more details when I have them. For now, I have a new recipe that I think you'll love. I know it's hard to believe, but these pancakes (and their toppings) are made without any added sugar and with all natural ingredients. Unlike most pancakes, these have protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. This way, you stay full (for a LONG time!) and don't experience the typical post-pancake sugar crash. I'm calling them "Oatty Nutty Pancakes," and both the blueberry syrup and cashew cream are delicious additions. If it seems too ambitious to make both toppings, one will surely be enough. Oatty Nutty Pancakes serves about 4 Ingredients: - 1 1/2 cups alternative flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour and oat flour, but also try combinations of whole wheat, buckwheat, spelt, quinoa, or amaranth flour) - 3/4 cup rolled oats, soaked in unsweetened almond or soy milk - one banana (overripe, if possible) - 2 tsp baking powder - 4 TBS ground flaxseed*, in small amount of hot water - 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond/soy milk - 1 TBS coconut oil - 1 tsp vanilla extract - 1 tsp cinnamon - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts - 1 TBS powdered stevia** 1. Soak oats in enough milk to cover. Put 4 TBS flaxseed in a small bowl and cover with hot water and let sit until the mixture becomes gummy (a few minutes). 2. Combine dry ingredients, combine wet ingredients, mix together. 3. Coat a skillet with coconut oil and cook. * I use flaxseed because it provides healthy fats, fiber, and works as a great egg replacer in baking. If you don't have any on hand, you can replace the flax and water with 2-3 eggs. ** I know using stevia can be hard because each brand varies drastically in concentration. A good clue is to look at the serving size. Usually the more mild stevia powders have a serving size of about 1/4 of a teaspoon. The kind I used for this recipe had that serving size, and one tablespoon was enough for the batter. Some more concentrated stevia powders have a serving size of 1/16 of a teaspoon. Just check your label and adjust accordingly. How much you use also varies on your personal preference. Cashew Cream This is so easy to make (provided you have a food processor) and is incredibly delicious. It's great on pancakes, but also can be used as a whipped cream for desserts or fruit. Ingredients: - 1 cup cashews - 1/2 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk - liquid stevia (or agave nectar) 1. In a food processor, grind cashews to a fine powder. 2. Pour in milk. Add more to reach desired consistency, if necessary. 3. Add a few drops liquid stevia or a drizzle of agave nectar. Blueberry Syrup Ingredients: - 1 cup blueberries (frozen works fine) - 1 cup water - 1 tsp stevia powder (see stevia note, above) - 4 tsp tapioca starch (or any alternative for cornstarch) - 4 TBS cold water 1. Combine blueberries, 1 cup water, and stevia in a pot and bring to a boil. 2. Combine starch and 4 TBS cold water and stir. Let sit a few minutes. 3. Add starch to blueberry mixture, simmer a few more minutes. Add liquid stevia or agave nectar to taste, if necessary. These are truly a fun breakfast. Thanks for reading, and remember, I'm always happy to take your questions. Love your food, Emily

// Posts

See All
Happy New Year! This Year's Thanksgiving Dinner Thanksgiving 2008 Book Update

// Top People

See All
emilyplayscello Kelliegrl

// Group Info

427 Members
Started Jul 3, 2007
Type Open

This is a group for anyone and everyone who loves to eat healthy or needs inspiration to do so! Natural, organic, vegetarian, special diet, weight loss, etc. I use the blog to share my food habits to hopefully inspire others to eat healthfully and consciously. I'm well-read on all things nutrition-related, so don't hesitate to ask questions!