The scary insides of my head…

I have been thinking a lot about food lately. Funny I know. I write a food blog (sometimes). I cook a lot. It seems natural that food should be on my mind. But my thought have been running a little deeper.

I have been thinking about food as it relates to my personal journey to health.

I have been thinking about food as it relates to my relationship with God.

I have been thinking about the fact that even though I have lost 100 pounds that I still struggle with food and my view of it every day.

I have been reading a book called Women Food and God and have been having small epiphanies about myself and how I have used food as a comfort and security blanket for a long time.

My pastor has often talked about good things God has given us that we as humans have taken and made profane. It is a phrase I often use because it resonates with me. He says that we have taken things that are sacred and have made them profane. Sex, money, food, relationships, and community are all things taken by humans in their sinful nature and made profane.

I am still in the midst of these thoughts, and as always working through them slowly. I will post some resources that I am using if anyone wants to join in discussing this with me.

God, Women and Food by Geneen Roth

Not written from a distinctly Christian view, but interesting non the less.

Paul Matthies has preached some sermons about gluttony at my church. These have been helpful to me as I am thinking through these issues.

The same friend who recommended the Roth book told me about this one as well. I have yet to read it, but I have picked it up from the library.

In the midst of all of this I am in the middle of writing my thesis for my masters degree. My thesis is a study of nutrition and fitness education (a curriculum we call Fitnessistas) with 5th and 6th grade girls aiming to help them to be able to make healthier decisions about their health. I am learning a lot as I hear their struggles and perceptions of health and fitness. It is humbling and exhilarating.

And a recipe, because this is supposed to be a food blog…

I got to work last night to make a muffin inspired by my Jamaican neighbor from Philadelphia. I was in Philly a few weeks ago and got to go to Marjorie’s house and she of course came out of the kitchen carrying a piece of cake. She always made wonderful rum cake and other ‘healthy’ whole wheat treats. The cake she gave me a few weeks ago had shredded carrots and ginger, and I loved it.

Warning. These “muffins” were an experiment to make something sweet that was more ‘whole’ food based. Less sugar, flour, and fat. Because of this they are not typical muffins and came out dense and moist. I put them in the freezer for a quick sweet treat and warmed one up in the microwave this morning for a nice addition to my breakfast.

Jamaican Sunshine Muffins

Ingredients:

3 carrots shredded

1 small piece of ginger grated

2 medium bananas

1 cup oatmeal flour (1 cup of oats grinded fine in the food processor) (flour would substitute)

1/2 cup almond meal (flour would work for this as well)

1/2 cup almond milk

1 Tbs flax seed meal

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 cup honey (or agave/maple syrup)

Directions:

In one bowl mash the bananas until smooth. Mix with the grated carrots and ginger until combined.

Add the almond milk and flax seed meal and let set.

In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixing until just combined.

Scoop the batter into a muffin tin with liners.

Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy. They freeze well.

Makes 12 muffins

That is around 100 calories, and a heck of a lot better for you than a 100 calorie pack of processed junk.

WW p+= 2 or 3 (2 on weight watchers website and 3 if the nutrition info is added)

Pattypan-tastic!

I went and picked up my CSA share (My roommate Catlin just informed me that I have yet to say what CSA actually stands for. Ok here it is, Community Supported Agriculture) tonight at Bolsa (a restaurant here in Oak Cliff) and I was thrilled with what I found inside! Some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

My bag when i first picked it up.My half-share of produce for the week. With my CSA there is an option of buying a full or a half-share. A full share is supposed to be enough for a family of four, while a half-share is good for two. Or in my case one person who eats a lot.Alternate produce view.A yellow cucumber…exact name unknown.Farm fresh tomatoes….cannot be beat!Pattypan squash….yes pattypan. I am proud that I knew the name without the assistance of google. Any suggestions on what to do with this thing would be greatly appreciated.More tomatoes.Squash….zuchinni…(is it just me, or does the squash in the middle resemble cookie monster a little…ok, it might just be me)

Local peaches and pears.

I have to buy a little produce to supplement what I get on a weekly basis. For example I eat an apple almost every day, and I buy these weekly. I also buy spinach every week for my smoothies and to make salads and sandwiches. Lately I have been watching the specials to buy summer berries and cantaloupe. I had no idea how much I loved raspberries until this summer. Amazing.

 As a bonus I am going to throw out a muffin recipe. This recipe is not ‘healthy’ or by any means what one would call diet food. But that’s ok, because I am trying hard to distance myself from the mentality of thinking that I can’t have food because it has fat in it or it has too many calories. I am training for a half-marathon, and let me tell you I have been hungrier than I have ever been in my life, so a few extra calories are ok in moderation.

These muffins were made by the request of my co-worker Lisa. I love Lisa. She is usually the first person I see every morning when I get the Library. More often than not we are strangely wearing very similar outfits or color combinations. She is also a bright and cheery person who puts up very well with strange questions from library patrons such as “do you offer marriage counseling?” and “do you know where I can buy chairs here for a church in Mexico?” (These are real questions people).

So when I heard through the grapevine that Lisa’s birthday was today I asked her what I could bring her. She thought about it and then requested my “Healthy banana muffins”. I had made some variation of these before that had very little oil and were made with whole wheat flour, and Lisa really liked them. So, I went home got to work, and this is what came out.

Lisa’s Banana Honey Muffins

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:
1 Cup flour (I used white wheat)
1 cup almond meal (if you don’t have this another cup of flour will do the same thing)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
3 tsp coconut oil
2 tbsp molasses
2 egg whites
2 bananas

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees.

In one bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. If you would like you can sift them.
In another bowl combine the wet ingredients.

I used frozen bananas in this recipe. I made sure they were defrosted before I mixed them with the other wet ingredients. I let them sit out for a few hours in the refrigerator and then I microwaved them for 30 seconds.

I mixed all of the wet ingredients together well, almost whisking, before going on to the next step.
Next incorporate the wet ingredients with the dry. Mix only until the wet and dry are mixed. Be careful not to over mix.

Set out your muffin tin and grease it with or without liners. Fill each cup 3/4 of the way full.

Bake at 300 degree for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Number of Servings: 12

Printable recipe

Muffin top.

Don’t let the name muffin full you, these muffins are not for breakfast. They were born out of the necessity to use spinach and not knowing the best way to do it. I love quinoa and this recipe just came to me when I was thinking about stuff I had around the house. I bought ‘0’ items to add to these ‘muffins’ and I believe that almost any combination of veggies would work wonderfully.

I bought a giant bag of quinoa last week at Costco. I don’t have a card, but a nice friend took pity on me and let me buy bulk under her membership. Costco is amazing. I don’t know how I lived all these years without it!

Here’s the recipe

 Quinoa Veggie Muffins

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

1 cup dry quinoa, cooked (It would work great to have it cooked before you start)

1 onion chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

5 cups spinach, steamed or sautéed

1 can diced tomatoes with peppers, drained

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp cumin

¼ cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs

4 egg whites

Directions:

Cook the quinoa in either a pot or a rice cooker according to the directions on the bag. Remember quinoa has to be rinsed, or it has a bitter taste. Quinoa cooks at a 1 to 2 ratio quinoa to water.

 Chop all of your vegetables, except the spinach.

Steam or satuee the spinach. There is a lot, so this might require doing it in batches, or in a really big pot.

Once quinoa is cooked (and cooled) combine with the onion, bell pepper, and spinach. Make sure your spinach is somewhat drained as the excess liquid could mess up the consistency of the mixture. Add the canned tomatoes and any other desired seasonings at this time.

Last, add the egg whites. You want to make sure the quinoa mixture is not too hot at this time, or the egg whites will cook on contact before they have been evenly distributed into the mixture.

Last grease your muffin tin or add liners. Evenly distribute the mixture to the 12 tins.

Then sprinkle the tops with whole wheat bread crumbs.

Bake for around 40 minutes, or until they look golden brown.

Number of Servings: 12

I call these muffins because I cooked them in a muffin tin, but they are actually not as solid as a true muffin. I tested one straight out of the oven and it stayed together pretty good, but part of the mixture stuck to the bottom. I also, did not use muffin liners. I refrigerated them overnight in the muffin tin, and they came out a lot easier when I was packing them for my lunch this morning. It’s a trial and error type thing.

Nutritionials:

Enjoy!