Cranberry Rosemary Refresher

I have been told by numerous people that the life of a food blogger seems really glamorous. I think sometimes when we see a picture of a beautiful dish, we imagine the chef/photographer standing in their kitchen, leisurely making a delicious meal about to be served to their family, while casually stopping to snap a photograph or two. As a food blogger, I can tell you that this is rarely how it happens. At least, not in my house.

Instead, here's the scene: a rainy Saturday morning.  At home, alone, with two crazy cats. The best light in my house is in my living room, with giant windows that face a main road. There I am, still in my pajamas, standing on a stool above a table to get the best angle as people walk by and shoot me puzzled looks.

Randomly a rogue cranberry falls from the table, inspiring one of my cats to bat it around the living room with all his might. As I'm trying to balance on a stool, ignore the passerbys, and get a decent shot, I knock over the martini glass and spill cranberry juice across my living room.  By now both of my cats are engaged in a cranberry-chasing battle and all of this running has managed to make one of them lose his lunch. Clean-up on aisle five, please?

Nevertheless, I managed to get a decent photograph of an amazing drink that you need to try this holiday season. Whether you leisurely enjoy this at a beautiful dinner with your loved ones, or simply use it as a reward for cat clean-up duty, I promise that it will energize your taste buds while flooding your body with nutrients.

Cranberries are loaded with antioxidants and Vitamin C, making this refresher the perfect winter immune booster. This was my first time juicing cranberries and I was pleasantly surprised by the intensely-tart flavor of fresh cranberry juice. Pairing it with fresh apple juice mellows the flavor and sweetens it up a bit without the use of refined sugars.

If you don't have access to a juicer, simply substitute 2 cups of unsweetened 100% cranberry juice and 2 cups of 100% apple juice. Fresh cranberry juice has a more intense flavor so even though my cranberries only yielded 1 cup of juice, if you are using bottled juice, you will probably want 2 cups.

Cranberry Rosemary Refresher
Makes 4 drinks

Ingredients:
2 cups water
3 fresh sprigs rosemary (more for garnish, if desired)
1 pound fresh cranberries (makes about 1 cup of juice)
4 apples (makes about 2 cups of juice)
Ice

Directions:
Add water to a covered saucepan or small pot and bring to a boil.  Add the rosemary, and lower heat to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, for one hour. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Juice the cranberries and apples. Mix with the chilled rosemary water. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and serve over ice.

Recipe shared at Wellness Weekend and Vegetarian Mamma

Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce

I understand that Thanksgiving is over. I know that it's time to move on from lentil loaves, mashed potatoes, and roasted yams. My brain is on board with this. But, my tastebuds? That's a different story.

I made this spiced orange cranberry sauce this year for Thanksgiving and have been indulging myself every day since. I've had this sauce over lentils, spread this on toast, and eaten it after dinner for dessert. If this keeps up, by New Years you might have to send me to cranberry rehab.

In my defense, it's important for you to know that this isn't any ordinary cranberry sauce. This one isn't overly sweet or loaded with refined white sugars like the typical canned cranberry sauce of my youth. Instead, it is sweetened with a few dates and spiced up with ginger, fresh oranges, and zest.

This recipe comes together quickly with minimal ingredients. I highly recommend using an organic orange since you will be using the zest in this recipe. If you are not able to purchase an organic orange, I would skip the zest to eliminate unnecessary pesticides.

Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
1 organic orange
1/2 cup water
12 ounces fresh cranberries

5 Medjool dates, pitted and diced

2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger

Directions:
Zest half the orange. Next, segment it by cutting off the top and bottom of the fruit then cutting away the peel and pith of the fruit.  Slice in-between the segments to remove any of the white skin in the middle of the fruit.

Add water to a medium saucepan and bring water to a boil. Add cranberries, dates, ginger, and segmented oranges. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, until sauce is reduced and thick. Stir in the orange zest and refrigerate until serving. Serve cold.

Recipe shared at Wellness Weekend

Chia Agua Fresca

I am not one of those gals that enjoys clothes shopping.  In fact, it downright stresses me out.  What basics do you need in your closet?  How do you figure out your size?  What is the heck is the difference between flared and boot cut jeans?  Do shoes that look nice, don't hurt your feet, and are waterproof even exist?  

The nice thing about summer is that I tend to do well with bright colored tops, capris, and sandals.  This is a winning combination in my book.  And if I lived somewhere where these things could be worn year-round I would probably be a much more fashionable person.

My talent lies in the kitchen.  I can stock a kitchen pantry like nobody's business.  I can take random bits from your fridge and create a meal any day.  And I can always take some produce just-past-its-prime and turn it into something incredible.

The inspiration behind this week's chia agua fresca is that I just needed a way to use up half a watermelon.  Done and done. And delicious.

This recipe is a fun twist on the traditional agua fresca, a fruit-flavored water cooler.  My version involves the addition of chia seeds, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as full of fiber and antioxidants. Once the seeds have absorbed liquid, they will be soft and float in the drink. It's definitely a fashionable drink for any picnic or party and a great way to cool off in summer. 

Chia Agua Fresca
Serves 2.

4 cups watermelon, skinned, seeded, and roughly chopped
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 tablespoon lime juice

Blend watermelon and water together on high.  Strain watermelon pulp.  Add the chia seeds and lime juice and thoroughly mix.  Refrigerate for several hours (or overnight) and serve cold.

Recipe submitted to Weekend Wellness

Chocolate Allergy Linked to Roaches

Allergy sufferers who react to chocolate might be shocked to learn their allergy could be linked to something other than the cocoa bean: an allergy to cockroach.

An average of 8 insect parts are found in a chocolate bar and deemed safe, according to the FDA's guidelines.

"Most foods have natural contaminants in them, but there are levels which the FDA deems safe," said allergist Dr. Morton M. Teich. "Anything more than 60 insect pieces per 100 grams of chocolate is rejected by the FDA. "

Trace amounts of insect parts that are ground into the food and can affect people with allergies and asthma. Some side effects include migraines, cramps, itching or hives.

Chocolate isn't the only food product to blame for contamination, other foods like peanut butter, macaroni, fruit, cheese, popcorn, wheat and some cheese also contain this material.
Allergists can help patients with cockroach allergies by giving them allergy shots with small amounts of the insect as well as removing chocolate from their diet.

First reported in 1943, allergists began skin testing for cockroaches in 1959. "Allergists are testing now because they're finding that asthma can be caused by cockroaches," said Teich, "I have patients whom we've tested for cockroach who really get reactions."

Teich says most of his patients are shocked at this information and swear off chocolate after discovering its contaminants. "Most of them say, 'I'm not going to eat that anymore!'"
However if you think a simple switch of brands will keep you from safe from roaches, you're wrong-cockroaches and their droppings seem to be indigenous to the cocoa bean.

"To avoid [insects in your food], it's almost impossible," said Teich. "You probably would have to stop eating completely."

To consume foods without traces of insects, producers would have to use more pesticides, which Teich believes are much worse than eating a few insects. Some argue that the pricier chocolate brands take extra precautions in separating the bugs from the beans but there is no evidence that proves it.

By: Lauren Torrisi

Winter Citrus Salad

Consider this salad your reward.  Your reward for surviving a hard week filled with a late-night trip to the animal hospital, three sleepless nights in a row, some not-so-great medical news about your cat, and lots of worrying. This salad is for you, stressed-out mama.  So put your feet up.  It's the weekend and you deserve this.

This salad is uber-simple to prepare, but the results are worth it!  Start off with some roasted citrus fruit (inspired by Joy) drizzled with olive oil.  Add in some freshly-ground rosemary and black pepper with just a touch of salt. Serve this over a bed of dressed baby kale or arugula. Sprinkle some pumpkin seeds and chopped almonds over the top.  And you have yourself a salad.

This recipe is loose and can be adapted in many different ways.  I happened to have some fresh pineapple, an orange, and a pomelo (Asian citrus fruit) on hand, but this would be absolutely gorgeous with blood oranges.  I tossed my greens with just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, but if you are using a tart fruit like grapefruit, a little pure maple syrup mixed in with the olive oil would be simply divine.

Winter Citrus Salad
Serves: you

2 - 3 types of citrus fruits (or a tropical fruit like pineapple)
Olive oil
A sprinkle of dried rosemary
Freshly-ground black pepper
Sea salt
1 - 2 cups of salad greens
A handful of almonds
A handful of pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Segment the citrus by cutting off the top and bottom of the fruit then cutting away the peel and pith of the fruit.  Slice in-between the segments to remove any of the white skin in the middle of the fruit.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, black pepper, and sea salt.  Roast for about 20 minutes.

Toss salad with a little olive oil and additional pepper, if desired.  Top greens with roasted fruit, nuts, and seeds.  Enjoy.

Watermelon Mint Popsicles

Is it too late for me to tempt you with a popsicle?  I have a feeling that it may already be past popsicle season... as leaves sweep across my front porch and rain pounds the pavement, I fear that you might pass up these beautiful creations for a warm cup of tea.  But as long as these are sitting in my freezer I'm going to pretend that the summer sun is still shining, watermelon is still in season, and neon blue nail polish is perfectly acceptable.  Just let me have this moment.

Today all of my biking from this summer paid off as I rode the Cycle The WAVE (Women Against Violence Everywhere) in Issaquah.  Cycle The WAVE is a non-competitive women's ride meant to inspire awareness and hope for domestic violence victims.  This year's proceeds will support the Eastside Domestic Violence Program, DAWN, and New Beginnings. 

This ride was really important to me because I spent eight years of my life doing anti-violence awareness and recovery work with women.  The best statistics we have suggest that one out of every three women will be abused at some point in her life, whether that is emotionally, mentally, and/or physically. However, given my experience, I would say that statistic is actually closer to one out of two.  I find it incredible how many people and families are affected by domestic violence and, yet, many of us still struggle to recognize it in our own homes.  My hope is that the more that people become aware of what violence is, the more that we can help to spread awareness and end the cycle together.




I originally signed up for the 42-mile route, but the past two weeks I've been having some severe knee pain while riding and running.  Everyone keeps telling me I'm "doing everything right" (i.e. rest days, ice, stretching, strength training, cross training, getting new shoes, having my bike fitted, wearing supportive knee braces, etc), yet, I haven't been able to get the pain to go away.  Three days ago I saw my doc and she ruled out any long bike rides until the pain got better.  

I was really disappointed after training all summer, but in the end I had to do what was best for my body. Instead of riding 42 miles, I rode the "Little Sister" route of 12 miles.  Even though I was a little emotional about it before the ride, by the time I got out on the road I was just grateful to be able to ride at all.  

For anyone interested in being part of a ride for the first time, I would definitely recommend Cycle The WAVE.   Everyone was super nice and the "Little Sister" route was mostly flat road with one big hill towards the end.  One of my favorite parts of the ride was actually the hill because they had signs along the road with inspirational messages.  It sure helped me to feel motivated to make it to the top!  

I also felt pretty motivated to finish knowing that I had these tasty treats waiting for me at home.  These popsicles taste like a frozen agua fresca and you can even throw in a squeeze of lime if you'd like.  I preferred to rely on the sweetness of the watermelon, but you can always sweeten these up a bit more for your taste buds.  These are the prefect way to end a day of cycling, use up your last watermelon of the season, and celebrate the beginning of another.

Watermelon Mint Popsicles
Makes 6 (depending on the size of your mold)

4 cups of seedless watermelon, rind removed, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Sweetener of your choice (optional)

Blend watermelon in a blender until liquified.  (Depending on your blender, you may have to add a tablespoon of water or so to get it going.  If you cut the watermelon into smaller chunks it is easier to blend without liquid.)  Add the mint and pulse until leaves are incorporated into the liquid, but not completely blended.  Add sweetener of your choice (if using).

Pour the mixture into your popsicle molds and freeze overnight.

Summertime Sparkling Fruit Slushie

Should I start with some good news or bad?

Today I found myself Googling "When does summer end in 2011?"  And there is was, staring me in the face:  September 23rd.

The doomsday is approaching us, people.

The bright side of this is that we all have three weeks to get out there and live it up before we have to part ways with sun, sandals, and summer salads.  Oh how I'll miss the salads.

The other piece of good news is that I discovered one of the most refreshing and delicious drinks I've had all summer.

What's been keeping you hydrated this season?  Besides good, old-fashioned agua, I've been a huge fan of iced chamomile tea, fresh coconut water, fresh vegetable juice, and green smoothies.  Last summer I kept my freezer stocked with these little goodies, but I've been a little lax in my popsicle-making duties this year.  So, when you're in a pinch and you have to have a tasty cold little treat, the slushie becomes your next best friend.

Slushies traditionally involve crushed ice, water, and some flavored syrup.  This slushie is a much healthier version that uses fresh fruit and a little agave for sweetness.  And, the best part:  it can literally be made in less than one minute!

This is the perfect drink for summertime because you get to experiment with all of the wonderful fresh fruit we have in season right now: cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries... yum.  I used a mixture of lapin cherries and blackberries in this particular slushy, but I absolutely adore a mix of peaches and cherries.

Summertime Sparkling Fruit Slushie
Serves 2

2 cups ice cubes
1 cup fresh or frozen fruit
16 ounces sparkling water
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1  Tablespoon agave nectar (or more to taste)

Pulse ice in blender until pebble-sized.  Add fruit and continue to pulse until it reaches a slushy texture.  (You want the ice and fruit to be crushed, but you don't want it to be melted into water.)  Add sparkling water, lemon juice, and agave nectar.  Stir and serve.