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I went a bit off course with this cake my friends. It is not the usual super duper healthy kind of baking that you usually find over here. I had some fun with good old fashioned refined ingredients. A rarity indeed. All my daughter wanted for her 6th birthday was a big pink strawberry cake. How could I refuse?
Continue reading “Strawberry Coconut Cake – “Sweet Six””
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I bought a jar of Organic Sesame Tahini a while back with the thought of making some hummus. Instead of that I went with this creamy cauliflower dish. I am not a huge fan of mashed potatoes but I love when a similar kind of mash is done with cauliflower. The tahini (sesame paste) gives this dish great flavor and a little bit of healthy fat to satisfy. I bet I could convert the biggest mashed potato fans out there.
Continue reading “Curry Cauliflower Puree with Tahini”
Why is it that the combination of high heat, and a touch of smokey bacon can bring on such great marriage of flavor? The caramelization of veggies that takes place in the oven is magical. These sprouts are full of flavor with some textural variations. The leaves that fall to the side end up a bit crispy, kind of like a chip. No boiled sprouts around here. No way.
As I state over and over again, all we need are just a few clean ingredients and we end up with a dish that is loaded with flavor and good for you nutrients.
Continue reading “Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon”
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All of the stress of the day melts away with the smell of apples, cardamom, and cinnamon filling your home. It’s true, warm and cozy feelings take over. I was a kinder, gentler person while this was bubbling away on the stove. Admittedly, my husband was a bit disappointed when he walked in, he thought I was making some giant streusel covered, buttery, apple crumble thing. He was very pleased when he realized how delicious a simple homemade applesauce is and how many calories he saved when he ate a bowl.
Continue reading “Chai Tea Applesauce”
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Ever get home from the store and notice that you bought the wrong yogurt? You know the “normal” runny, gloppy kind that separates into all kinds of weird textures. When I discovered rich, thick, creamy Greek yogurt there was no turning back. Sometimes containers will say on the label “thick, creamy, Greek style.” The only thickness about it can be my disappointment when I break the seal. Unless it is strained (and strained well), it will probably not be the kind I prefer.
Continue reading “Quick Thick Greek Yogurt”
I don’t know about you, but when I go out for Indian food I usually over eat. Common conversation when people are eating CTM usually goes like this:
“OMG this is so good!”
“Yeah, I can’t stop eating it once I start.”
“Don’t they use that “ghee” stuff?”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
and then everyone proceeds to eat and get really full.
Indian food tastes so good, but I always find it hard to hit the “off” switch once I start inhaling it. All that salty, creamy, rich, ghee filled, spicy, goodness is addictive and sinfully delicious.
Reality hits the next day. The salt hangover when you wake up is never any fun. Familiar with that bloated, highly irritable feeling? Going to Indian restaurants has become a pretty rare thing around here. Again, not ’cause I don’t love it, because I like it too much!
Continue reading “Skinny Chicken Tikka Masala”
October 2009, Issue #4
This is the newsletter for MarlaMeridith.com where I share fresh ideas to enhance and inspire our clean, healthy, yummy lifestyles.
Better late than never to get you my Fresh Picks for October. Life’s been so busy with Back to School and creating new routines. I have had loads of Fresh Picks on the brain and not enough time to type ’em up. I am thrilled to finally get them to you!
In the next few months I will spotlight all those yummy seasonal Fall flavors. From Cinnamon, to Apple Spice to Pumpkin, Sweet Potato and beyond!
Here are the FFC recipes that have been added since the last newsletter
Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies
Continue reading “October 2009 Fresh Picks!”
Gosh, I love Fall!
Here are some highlights from our trip to Telluride. Time spent alone with my two-year-old son was priceless. The yellow leaves clinging to the Aspens were awesome. It was freeing to walk everywhere and not drive for a week. The snow-covered mountain peaks were breathtaking. Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies…….need I say more.
With fall here I love to cozy up and bake. We are talking real baking, with butter, sugar, flour and more butter. My favorite flavors abound with the cooler weather…..cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg. Pastries, breads, cookies and cakes with apple, pumpkin and sweet potato are the spotlight at every cafe and market. these are good times, and being away was the perfect opportunity for me to experiment with my fav flavors.
Once in a while, we all need a calorie splurge. It keeps us in check on the “good days” and gives us something to look forward to. No, I don’t eat cookies like this very often, but when I do they better be well worth my time. Each bite needs to be special and delicious. My son’s treat each day on our trip was one of these cookies, the little guy flipped for them!
THE BONUS: With the addition of Sweet Potatoes you get some vitamin A, fiber and loads of antioxidants in your cookie. As if we need more reason’s to eat cookies! Not too mention some refined sugars are cut out with the use of all natural Maple Syrup. To read more on the virtues of Sweet Potatoes click these links: Livestrong and Mayoclinic
Makes about 24 good sized cookies.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Fresh Variations
If you see this symbol on the front of a package of so called “food” you might want to walk away. You’ll probably want to run, really fast. If you choose not to high tail it away from these products you’ll have to read the nutrition labels very carefully. What they are labeling as “healthy” is really just another way to market unhealthy foods to uneducated, trusting consumers. The program’s aim is to build healthy habits for the long term. Looks like they need to re-evaluate what healthy habits are.
I have to say I was grossed out to even type the words “Smart Choices Program” into my search engine as this is one of the saddest, not smart programs I have ever seen. I stumbled upon it via the NY Times article Connecticut to Scrutinize Food Labels by William Neuman. The Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is on to something. He is starting an investigation into this labeling campaign.
Our federal government has come up with Dietary Guidelines for Americans, that is supposed to dictate how the average American should eat. More attention is being paid to overall calorie consumption than the quality of the calories. In the Smart Choice Program website they include a Nutrition Criteria and Calorie Indicator page. The good news is they are acknowledging a sense of balance, with a nod to healthy fats from fish and nuts. Also, they acknowledge that a human should consume fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Where they fall real short is advocating loads of industrial, processed foods as means to get these nutrients.
Continue reading ““Smart Choices Program” Really Not So Smart”
(This soup should be labeled: “I ate too many homemade cookies and I need a healthy, cleansing meal!”)
Yes, this meal is riding the heels of a good old cookie binge. Time to make up for the yummy, sugary, gooey, chocolaty, carbs! Recipe coming your way soon for Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies……
In the mean time, I am on the quest for a meal to reinstate balance: Soup it is! The reality of eating so much sugary, carby goodness is I need to check in with my intake for the rest of the day. I am not going to cut out calories I am going to replenish with foods that build muscle, not…….the soft stuff!!
In order to get balance back in my diet I wanted something quick, easy, loaded with nutirents and delicious!! A fast and easy broth based soup with loads of veggies and protein is the perfect solution to reset my equilibrium.
Continue reading “Seafood Veggie Soup”
Just woke up to a beautiful snowy day in Telluride. I am inspired and on a mission. I just read these two articles and had to comment. I figured I would share my thoughts with FFC readers.
Is it Really Stupid to Cook? by Mark Bittman
Understanding the Blueberry Muffin by Ta-Nehisi Coates
I agree that cooking takes great effort and time. Between the shopping, prepping and preparing the food, a small marathon has been run. With a high energy, controlling personality (and someone who has run multiple marathons!) I welcome the opportunity to provide nourishment and cook for my family.
It is so rewarding when we have accomplished a task that does take so much effort. It makes us more accountable for what we put into our mouths. I like having that control and I enjoy providing home made foods to my family.
Continue reading “In Reponse to: Is it Really stupid to Cook?”
I had a great first day back in Telluride with my little guy. Town is quiet. Very quiet and wonderful. The summer has wrapped, the ski season starts at the end of November. It is a gap time for visitors but the locals finally have the place to themselves.
Even though I spend a good part of the year in SoCal, I like to consider myself a local here. We are tax payers, so I guess that qualifies us residents or “part-timers.” We spend more time in Telluride as the years go on. The goal this trip was to view the changing leaves but we caught them at the tail end.
More leaves are on the ground then on the trees, there are still some yellow leaves clinging to the Aspens. There are snowy peaks in the distance. It is beautiful, it is Telluride.
My son so far has been a charmer. He keeps giving me hugs and telling me he is happy. That makes me very…happy!
Tonight he got bonus points as he ohhhed and ahhhed over his Pan Seared Trout and whole wheat pasta with my Zesty Puttanesca Sauce. The guy is 2 years old and he is developing a palate for clean, healthy foods. Makes me proud!
He earned a big pancake breakfast in the morning! If he keeps charming me he’ll also score a gingerbread cookie at Between the Covers or Baked in Telluride during the afternoon coffee break.
Continue reading “Pan Seared Trout”
