You might think the word “wild” implies organic, but it does not. While the low bush blueberries grow in the wild, rather than cultivated in plowed fields, they are tended to so as to assure  a healthy harvest. Wyman’s uses Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices – if you are unfamiliar with that term it means they use the bare minimum of chemicals only when needed. IPM standards are not as high as organic standards, but they are far better than conventional practices which use chemical pesticides and herbicides prophylacticly. Wyman’s website has some great information on the many ways their company strives to be sustainable – everything from participating in studies for new organic fertilizers to supporting bee health initiatives.

Before I transitioned to an all organic lifestyle several years ago, I used to buy Wyman’s regularly.  When I made the switch to all organic, I ended up usually getting cultivated blueberries. (side note: the blueberries that appear on EWG’s Dirty Dozen list are cultivated high bush blueberries – the wild ones are low bush and have very different growing conditions).

Last night I sent my hubby shopping for groceries. I had asked him not to buy Cascadian because even though they are organic, they are owned by General Mills who recently spent $1,230,000 to defeat a GMO food labeling law in California. Strike one. There has also been concern in recent years about where the berries are actually grown. Their website makes it sound as though the berries come from their small family farm in Washington State, but if you search for and read the tiny print on the bags, you can see that while packed in the US many are imported from other countries. Strike two (transparency issues) and Strike three (horrible carbon footprint). Since the frozen local organic berries I typically get were out of stock, David ending up bringing home the Wyman’s for the crisp I was making today.   I did a little homework to find out about their harvesting practices and was delighted with what I found.  Check out their impressive sustainability practices  http://www.wymans.com/about/sustainability.php

They are a great product to support. Not only is the company striving to improve practices, the berries are just fabulously delicious. The crisp turned out to be the best one I have ever tasted. Oh yeah – and it’s gluten free!

While Proposition 37 did not pass in California, it did catapult the issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into the mainstream conversation. Had Prop 37 passed, it would have required  “labeling of food sold to consumers made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways” and “Prohibit(ed) marketing such food, or other processed food, as ‘natural’.” Some polls estimate as many as 95% of consumers want their foods labeled; yet the food industry fought CA’s ballot item by spending $46 million on opposing that proposition and it did not pass. (which leads one to wonder why they really do not want us knowing what’s in our food…)

Let’s take a brief look at GMOs : They are organisms created by a biotech process combining the DNA from one species into another species, thus altering it’s DNA. This is not the same thing as a hybrid between two plants. For example, GMO technology can put the DNA of a fish into a tomato, thus permanently altering the DNA of that fruit and its seeds. The industry claims these altered foods are totally safe for human consumption, but there have been no long tern studies on human health. Meanwhile, research is showing weight gain, infertility, organ damage and tumors to be among the side effects in studies where animals consume GMO food. These concerns have been enough to convince 50 countries to already label genetically engineered foods, including the entire European Union. A fact I find very disturbing is that most of the U.S. food industry giants make a non-GMO version for export and a GMO version for sale in U.S..  Kaiser Permanente, the largest managed healthcare organization in the U.S., has just advised all of its members to avoid GMOs. Without a labeling law in the United States, we are left to try to figure this out for ourselves.

This concern is only magnified in the US and Canada by the following data: GMOs now make up 93% of available canola, 86% of corn, 93% of soy, 95% of sugar beets and 80% of all packaged foods. Only 0.7% of U.S. cropland is organically grown.

So, how do we avoid GMOs without identifying labels?

Here are my top strategies on this ever changing issue.

1) KNOW what ingredients are MOST likely to contain GMOs. Currently the top offenders are: Soy, Canola, Cottonseed (present in vegetable oils and margarine ), Corn, Sugar Beets, Dairy (rBGH/rBST), Papayas, Farm Raised Salmon, Alfalfa, Flax, Rice, Yellow Summer Squash, and Zucchini.

It is also essential to avoid ingredients fed, or derived from, those top offenders. This means all dairy or meat products from animals that were fed GMO feed. Unfortunately, with the draught conditions this past summer, many more farmers switched to GMO feed. If your meat/dairy/eggs does not say 100% grass fed or Organic, you need to assume they contain GMOs.  Other ingredients derived from GMOs include (but not limited to) Amino Acids, Ascorbic Acid, Aspertame/AminoSweet (manufactured with the aid of genetically modified E.coli bacteria), Sodium Ascorbate, Vit C, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Dried Beet Pulp, Beet Sugar, Ethanol, Flavorings (“natural” & “artificial’), Granulated Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Invert Sugar, Lactic Acid, Liquid Sugar, Maltodextrin, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Powdered Sugar, Sucrose, Syrup, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum (found in MOST gluten free prepared mixes and foods), Vitamins and Yeast Products – including Brewer’s Yeast.

2) Look for 100% Organic with USDA Organic label or the NOFA Organic label. The USDA seal alone means that 95% of ingredients must be organic, but the remaining 5% are not supposed to be GMO. If the package says 100% Organic and has the USDA Organic seal, it cannot by law contain any GMOs.

3) Look for Non-GMO Project Verification Seal. This is the only third party certification of GMO ingredients.

4) Think about everything you consume – even beverages. For example I was surprised (and then surprised that I was surprised) to recently discover that all but two bourbons in the U.S. contain GMOs. Currently Four Roses and Wild Turkey are GMO free, but they have not pledged to stay that way. This also includes meals out – local restaurants that serve local foods are your best starting point, then ask questions.

5) Unfortunately, local does not mean GMO free. Natural on a label does not mean GMO free either. For example, no local organic chicken is currently available in area stores that I am aware of (PLEASE notify me if know otherwise).  This leaves the consumer looking to avoid GMOs with 4 options: either buy organic non-VT chicken, buy local organic chickens direct from a farmer, raise your own non-GMO chickens, or don’t eat chicken.

6) Use as many organic whole foods as possible. Once foods become processed, the chances of including GMO ingredients go up considerably.

7) Use your smart phone to check any foods you have questions about. I have several apps that use, but sometimes find a simple Google search is the most direct way to get an answer. For example, if you are wondering about mayonnaise, type in “GMO free mayo” and you will find many links on that topic. I search foods this way almost every time I shop.

8) Here are some useful apps: ShopNoGMO, True Food Shopper’s Guide and FooduCate.

9) For additional GMO info check out the following websites:

http://www.nongmoproject.org/

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers

http://seedsofdeception.com/non-gmo-education-center/

http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/

http://gmo-awareness.com/shopping-list/

10) Follow my Business page on Facebook for updated GMO articles and information. It’s All Connected Natural Health & Living.

One of my favorite things about autumn is the abundance of so many delectable varieties of squash. Squash is incredibly versatile and lends itself to so many fabulous recipes from pureed soups, stews, grain salads, and baked goods, to being roasted, sautéed or mashed. As an added benefit, squash stores well too. It can be sweet or savory and adds vibrant colors to any plate. With that deep orange color comes a host of nutritional benefits: an excellent source of carotenes, offer a very good source of
vitamins B1 and C, folic acid, pantothenic acid, fiber, and potassium. Winter squash are also a good source of vitamin B6 and niacin.

Being a big fan of seasonal eating, I always talk to my clients about squash and last year it turned out that I had several clients who were self declared squash haters. After a bit of questioning they confessed to never having tasted most of the varieties I mentioned. It turns out that many folks seem to have tried the rather bland and generic frozen variety from when they were young and from that early experience decided that they didn’t like squash. I invited 8 clients to a taste testing and it was a huge surprise and success. I cooked 7 varieties of squash the exact same way – cubed and simply roasted with a touch of butter and olive oil, salt and pepper – so we could get a good comparison of how each variety differed. We tried Delicata, Acorn, Butternut, Hubbard, Kabocha, Musquee de Provence and Red Kuri. Hubbard, Delicata and Red Kuri seemed to be the biggest surprises of the night. Note: if you decide to do a taste testing, try adding mixed varieties of apples as well to mix up your palette.

I highly recommend that the next time you are at a store or farmer’s market that you get a variety of squash that you have never tried before or at least try a totally new preparation. Some of my favorites squash preparations include sautéed delicata with butter, salt & pepper; coconut curry red kuri mash; roasted butternut with red quinoa salad; roasted acorn with hazelnuts and balsamic reduction; roasted winter squash, caramelized onions and sautéed kale; and a buttercup apple soup with maple and ginger. (recipes to follow)

As you look at squash recipes, it can be helpful to keep this guide nearby.

Squash Equivalents:
1/3 to 1/2 pound raw unpeeled squash = 1 serving
1 pound peeled squash = 1 cup cooked, mashed
2-1/2 pounds whole squash = 2-3/4 to 3 cups pureed
1 pound trimmed squash = 2 cups cooked pieces
1 pound squash = 2 to 3 servings
12 ounces frozen squash = 1-1/2 cups
1 medium-size (15 to 20 pounds) pumpkin = 5 to 7 quarts of cooked pumpkin.

Remember, Eat Clean, Live Green and Be Healthy.

Eat Clean, Live Green, Be Healthy!

Every Monday I make organic lunches for my son’s High School and I love to have desserts that are fun as well as delicious. I got it in my head that I really want to make green mint milkshakes for dessert the week of St. Patrick’s Day this year, but I needed a source for the green color. My first thought was to use food based green dye, but my last experience with that came out a dismal khaki green. No good for this. I recently read an article about using spinach juice as a food coloring so I decided to try that. Once I got all the ingredients ready though, I started asking myself why in the world would I JUICE the spinach to use just a few drops? Why not ADD the spinach and let the kids get the benefit of all the fiber as well?

It turned out that my very first taste trial was also my last. It totally worked! You will notice a touch of brown in the milkshake but that is because I used an organic mint chocolate chip ice cream so it had bits of chocolate as a well. I may just use vanilla next time and add extra peppermint extract – either way the color green was great and the taste was fabulous. I made this with organic cow’s milk ice cream and full fat, unhomogenized organic cow’s milk. Coconut milk and ice cream could easily be substituted for those who do not consume dairy.

This was fabulously decadent, rich and delicious! Even the most dedicated non-veggie eater will LOVE this.

Ingredients:

2 cups organic mint chocolate chip ice cream

2 cups fresh organic baby spinach 1 cup organic milk

1/4 tsp organic peppermint extract

Throw it all in a VitaMix (or other high power blender) and give it a whirl.

If you use vanilla ice cream, be sure to add more mint extract to taste.

Bon Appetit!

Eat Clean, Live Green, Be Healthy!

Or were we playing mad scientist?

Or were we on the cusp of developing a new reality TV show?

Perhaps all three – there was experimentation, laughter, deliciousness galore and the set up was gorgeous as we set out on a Green Smoothie-a-thon. Just check out this produce.

To prepare for our big day, I went to the market with my shopping list in hand: coconut milk, almond milk, ginger, kale (3 kinds), swiss chard, collards, spinach, romaine, red leaf lettuce, parsley, basil, cilantro, celery, cabbage, beets, green beans, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mangoes, pineapple, avocados, bananas, apples, pears, oranges, lemons, limes, kiwi, watermelon and honeydew. I am a huge believer in eating what is local and in season, so it felt a bit weird, frankly, to have melons and tropical fruits in my cart, but I was on a mission. I was determined to develop a full repertoire of smoothies that would make even the most squeamish eater happy. My carload of produce, added to my stock of spices, seeds and nuts that I had at home, made me feel  pretty confident that we could whip up some fabulous concoctions.

Usually when I make green smoothies, I just look at what I have in the house and start blending. I keep adding and tasting until I have something I like, (which is a great way to make them) but it leaves me with the problem of having  a hard time duplicating it and sharing my recipes with anyone else. Today I was determined to write it all down step by step, to develop recipes that would be both easy to follow and please a wide range of palates.

I began with a mild tropical one, good for someone who doesn’t think green and smoothie are two words that should ever be used together. With a base of mango and banana, it was pretty safe – a bit of spinach was all that was needed to “go green”. We moved on to a watermelon based smoothie that needed lots of tweaking to have depth of flavor, but eventually we got there. It had a funky “Army green” color, but taste wise it was pretty good.

Each smoothie brought different characteristics to the table that were made even more noticeable by trialing them side by side. Adding just 1 date or 1/2 cup of pineapple would completely change the flavor profile. I have long known that adding lemon and ginger will cut through any “grassy” taste from the dark or bitter greens, but was amazed by the power of small amounts of various ingredients to transform the drink. All together we made 6 smoothies (some with several incarnations), 1 pudding and 1 milk shake. Check out how beautiful those fresh colors were.

The smoothies above, from left to right, are The Medicine Chest (from the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook), my first attempt at Kelly’s Beet Smoothie (later to become the Vermont Farmer’s Smoothie) and the Green Cashew Cream.  The last one got the special complement from my friend Nina as being “true comfort food”.  It is mild, slightly sweet, creamy and totally yummy.

Here is a picture of my famous MoJo’s Chocolate Pudding. Talk about comfort food. It was a happy moment watching the looks on my friends faces when then tasted this. I suggested that I make this in advance for an event and Nina said “No, you can’t. They will think it’s a trick. No one would believe you can get this taste with just these ingredients – you have to show them”. You could serve this at a formal dinner party and no one would ever have any idea that there was no dairy or processed sugar in it.

This delicacy is as smooth as the best chocolate mousse and packed with nutrition. This is made with banana, avocado, medjool dates and raw cacao.

Pure fabulousness.

I like to make this as a lunch box treat in the morning so that I can get a breakfast treat made at the same time – the best way to “clean out” the blender after you scoop the pudding out is to add in milk, more cacao, a date and some almond butter. Blend until sides seem “clean” and you will have the best milkshake ever. Every single ingredient is a whole food powerhouse of vitamins, micro-nutrients and fiber. This combo of protein, good fats, fiber and vitamins is what a real energy drink is all about.

We almost ended our day at this point, feeling confident that we had a nice range of green smoothie recipes. Thankfully I decided to try a savory smoothie “just to see” how that would go.

WOW! We were blown away. Tanna instantly thought this was her very favorite of the whole the day. I began with a recipe from Victoria Boutenko in Green For Life that was a gem as it was, but I decided to tweak it a bit more. I added extra avocado, sun dried tomatoes and cilantro (you could easily substitute basil if you are not a cilantro fan) to what was basically a kale, tomato and garlic based smoothie. It was a huge hit with all three taste testers. Because it was savory, we all thought ‘soup’ right away. We imagined it served in a bowl with a dollop of creme fraiche or yogurt on top just waiting to be stirred in. But, alas, we never got to try it that way because we kept refilling our glasses til every drop was gone. This one had so much potent energy in it that we could almost feel our cells do a little happy dance of joy and thanks. This will be my go to smoothie for energy – SHAZAM!

What turned out to be a GRAND Finale, was one I made while Nina and Tanna were still there, but I tweaked after they had to leave (4.5 hours later…) – The Vermont Farmers Smoothie. I dedicate this smoothie to my cousin Kelly and my dear dad – both served as the inspiration behind this marvel.

Kelly had told me about a smoothie she makes using canned beets and green beans from her garden.  &^#*%$!!  I was instantly intrigued. I mean, Really? Canned beets and green beans? Yup. To these she would add protein powder, a dollop of yogurt and a splash of milk. It sounded so unthinkable that I just had to try it. Since I did not have home canned beets and green beans, I bought fresh and par boiled them as they would be for canning. The combo instantly turned that gorgeous shade of hot pink that only beets can provide. I followed her directions and we were ridiculously surprised. This was GOOD, REALLY GOOD!

I was wanting to find a way to make it without the protein powder since I was putting together a whole foods class and whey powder is not a whole food. I tried just leaving it out, but something was lacking. I made another batch, this time thinking about the earthiness of those Vermont beets and green beans and all of the farmer’s hands who have grown them for generations in this soil.

That made me think of my dad and that’s when it came to me! What were some of my dads favorite things to grow/raise/make in VT? I decided to add some raspberries from the freezer. To that I added the dollop of yogurt, some milk, and  just a touch of maple syrup – a nod to Vermont’s most famous and delicious product of all. This had it all – farm fresh vegetables, berries, VT dairy, and Maple syrup – representing all the seasons.  How much more Vermont could it be? It was love at first sip. As I drank this, I closed my eyes, remembering the stories my dad would share with me as a kid while I helped him in the gardens or with gathering sap from the maples. I remembered funny stories about his childhood being barefoot in the dirt and about  drinking milk straight from the cows on the farm.  I knew I had found the perfect Vermont Smoothie.

A few general notes about green smoothies:

1 – Start with flavors you feel comfortable with and gradually increases the greens. The goal is to get greens in, sugars out.

2 – Mix up your recipes. You need variety in order to maximize health and minimize deficiencies. I highly recommend Victoria Boutenko’s book Green For Life.

3 – Feel free to use whatever form of milk your body does best with, just make sure it’s real, organic, whole and free of any additives.  Cow’s, Goat’s, nut milks, coconut milk, coconut water, kefir and water are all fine choices.

4 – Nuts, nut butters and seeds (like flax and chia) are all great to add in.

5 – Adjust your liquid to get a consistency you like.

6 – Adding a date will sweeten things up.

7 – Experiment and be sure to get in your greens every day. It doesn’t have to be steamed spinach to be healthy!

Now for the moment you have been waiting for…… RECIPES!!!

Many of the gluten free recipes I came across relied way too heavily on ingredients that are just too processed. I am a big fan of using whole foods and I really wanted this to stand out not only as a fabulous gluten free cupcake, but, simply as a fabulous cupcake. My search brought me to a flourless chocolate cake recipe by a blogger named John D Lee. He raved about this recipe and he had me intrigued. (His original recipe can be found at http://johndlee.hubpages.com/hub/Decadent-Gluten-Free-Chocolate-Cake.) Now, I had been looking for cupcakes to serve, so I decided to give this recipe a try with some adaptations to better suit my needs.  The first change was to make them in cupcake tins rather than in an 8 inch round. All of the other changes, including making a topping, are noted in the recipe to follow.

I was especially happy with this plan when I realized that the original recipe would make 8 servings, but that in my cupcake tins, I was able to make 20 from one batch. That means that each portion was 2.5 times smaller than it would have been otherwise. What a great way to make a decadent treat much healthier without sacrificing taste or quality. Given how intense the flavor was, this turned out to be a perfect move.

Here are some shots I took along the way.

I was careful to pour each cup less than half full. I was not expecting them to rise much, but surprisingly they did. Here is how they looked fresh out of the oven.

Since my son’s favorite taste combo is chocolate and coffee, I decided to bring a little of that into the mix. I searched for recipes including coffee, but was uncertain how the liquid would effect the texture. I was delighted to discover that King Arthur Flour ( a great local Vermont company) makes an Espresso Powder (www.kingarthurflour.com) that was available locally. I added a teaspoon of that to my batter and could tell right away that it was a good move.

The next concern that I had about making flourless chocolate cake, as opposed to traditional cupcakes, was that I really wanted them to be decorated and visually stunning. After searching for coffee frosting recipes, I felt they would all be too rich and too sweet for the intensity of the flourless cake. I decided to make a batch of whipped cream and add the Esresso Powder to that as well. What resulted was the best dessert I have ever had. Really. They were that good.

After making whipped cream, I transferred it to a pastry bag and piped it onto each little cake. For a final touch I shaved some high quality milk chocolate over the top.

And over the top they were.

Each little morsel was perfectly delectable. The taste combination of the espresso with the dark chocolate and the lightness of the cream created a treat that will be made again and again in our house.

This recipe gets my full endorsement as a health coach for so many reasons. Firstly, it is so important that we fully enjoy and savor our food. These are pure joy. With the very first bite my eyes closed and a euphoric smile came over my face. This kind of happiness needs to be a part  of any diet. Secondly, the smaller portion size allowed these bites of heaven to weight in at only 1.25 oz each (before whipped cream) and because the flavor was so rich, that size felt just right. Thirdly, I used all organic, whole food ingredients, rather than deferring to more heavily processed ingredients typically found in gluten free baking. I used local eggs and butter and the chocolate and sugar were fair trade. I felt great about all of the ingredients, and yes, even my grandmothers would have recognized them all.  Lastly, the fact that the best dessert of all time also happened to be gluten free was just fabulous. I get such a thrill from feeding wheat eaters gluten free foods that they adore. These were definitely a win/win/win.

Oh, and did I mention they are easy and fast to prepare? MUAH! We’ve got a total smash hit on our hands.

Eat with your eyes closed and moan away. You totally deserve it!

Bon Appetit!

Five years ago when I became committed to living a joyous and delicious gluten free life, I shifted my focus from the foods that were wrecking havoc on my immune system to all of the fabulous foods that I could enjoy that would love me back. Two years ago, the rest of my family joined me in this lifestyle when we discovered that gluten sensitivities were effecting my sons as well. And I have to say, it has been far easier than I ever would have anticipated because I have actively sought out and enjoyed fabulous food. Yet every once in a while, we would be reminded of a cherished recipe from Grandma Wheeler for Orange Blossom Cookies and collectively sigh, frown, complain or weep. Grandma’s Orange Blossom Cookies are the best and life without them felt as though something was missing! My oldest son is even pretty sure that giving them to teachers get you favorite student status. They are just that good.

So last week when I asked my oldest what type of cookies I should make for the High School lunch this week (I make local organic lunches for his school 1 day per week), I was expecting one of our old stand by gluten free recipes. I was  shocked when he said “Why don’t you make Orange Blossoms?”. We have not had them in years. Could I really make these gluten free?  And could I make them gluten free and pass the taste test of a high school full of gluten eaters? I was intrigued by the idea and decided to make them a day in advance so I could still make something else if they failed. While I am totally comfortable converting most recipes to be gluten free, when it comes to things that rise and pastry, I typically stick to the recipe.

I decided that my first attempt would be the most basic – the recipe calls for 3 cups of flour (wheat), so I substituted 1.5 cups white rice flour and 1.5 cups brown rice flour. I crossed my fingers, did a jig to the leprechauns of culinary luck, and said a fast prayer that it would be this simple. Guess what? IT WAS! They are indistinguishable from the originals and put a smile on every face in the house.

When they came out of the oven it was obvious that the substitute was a complete success. Now it was time to make the frosting that makes these so special.

It is worth noting that I used the best possible ingredients in these decadent delights. They are 100% organic and all of my eggs and dairy came from very contented, free roaming loved animals.  While shopping at out local health food store for the ingredients yesterday, I was surprised to learn that the brown sugar in the bulk bins had caramel coloring added to it, so I rejected that I purchased some pre-packaged brown sugar instead.

Should we eat these every day? Absolutely not. Is there room in a healthy diet for favorite revamped treats? Absolutely yes!

Eat Clean, Live Green and Be Healthy

Bon Appetit!

Last week I made Sloppy Joes for the Waldorf High School for lunch and used a recipe that called for carrots. It got rave reviews, so I decided to see what other meat dish I could play around with and adapt it to include carrots. Since I also had 2 lbs of grass fed ground local beef to use up, I decided upon meatloaf. Meatloaves to be exact – I made them in muffin tins so that they could be individually portioned for easier packing on school lunches. I wish I had taken a picture, but they were a huge hit right out of the oven. My sons were amazed that each meatloaf, while weighing almost 4 ozs each, had only 2 ozs of meat in them with the addition of all the veggies. They tasted great and were a fabulous way to cut back on meat while increasing vegetables intake.

My next endeavor was to make carrot pancakes. I was thinking of something similar to latkas but substituting carrots for the potatoes. What I ended up with was very different. I started to adapt an old Moosewood Cookbook recipe without reading it through all the way – oops. What I ended up with was not what I had in mind or what Moosewood suggested, but it was a HUGE hit. Thank you Sundays At Moosewood Restaurant for the inspiration!

This was an instant family favorite. My middle son tasted it and declared “It tastes like chicken!” HA! I think it was all of the herbs. Another son said “It tastes like stuffing!”. We all looked to my third son waiting to hear what he thought it tasted like, half expecting to hear “cranberry relish”, but, alas, he declared his disdain for anything including zucchini and decided to not like it before tasting.  Everyone else was pretty happy to see him pass though because it meant more for us. This ended up being so yummy, that I sent two of the boys off with slices of this on their lunch today and it was considered the treat in their lunchbox!

Now, off to use more carrots. Maybe a puree turned into pudding? Hmmm…

September 30th, 2011 at 7pm

Jivana Holistic Spa, 113 Church Street, Burlington, VT