Showing posts with label eat local. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eat local. Show all posts

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Finding Seasonal Produce: Autumn

Bonjour!

Autumn is here and I'm starting to see more seasonal produce.  One exciting thing about seasons changing is cooking with local (if possible) seasonal ingredients.  Your food will have more flavor and your taste-buds will thank you!

Last summer I wrote a blog post about Finding Seasonal Produce. Veggies and fruits are key component to healthy eating. Consuming produce fresh from harvest is the best way to get the highest level of vitamins and minerals.

Remember that most mainstream produce is shipped from very far away.  How far does your produce travel? Find out at TheFoodIllusion.wordpress.com.


Autumn Produce for Florida

Apples
Artichoke
Arugula
Beets
Belgian Endive
Broccoli and Broccoli raabe
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celeriac/Celery Root
Celery
Chard
Chicories
Chiles
Cranberries
Curly Endive (Frisée)
Edamame (soy beans)
Eggplant (early fall)
Escarole
Fennel
Figs
Garlic
Grapes (early fall)
Green beans
Green Onions/Scallions
Herbs (hearty sorts are available fresh in fall – look for bundles of rosemary, parsley, thyme, and sage)
Horseradish
Jerusalem Artichokes/Sunchokes
Kale
Kohlrabi (late fall)
Leeks
Lemongrass
Lettuce (in warmer climates)
Limes
Mushrooms (wild)
Okra (early fall)
Onions
Oranges
Parsnips
Pears
Peppers (early fall)
Persimmons
Pomegranates
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Quinces
Radicchio
Radishes (all types)
Rutabagas
Shallots
Shelling beans
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes/Yams
Tomatillos
Turnips
Winter Squash (all types)
Zucchini


Some of my favorites are on that list: apples, beets, broccoli, eggplant, garlic, herbs, leafy greens, Florida oranges, sweet potatoes, squash and zucchini. Yum!

And a few new ones that I'd love to try: arugula, chicories, parsnips, persimmons, quinces and tomatillos.


Helpful Resources for Finding Local Food


Enjoy the season!

Monday, August 9, 2010

{ weekend } Ybor City Farmers Market

My weekend was all about food!  We woke up early on Saturday morning to make it to the Ybor City Farmers Market.  Last time we were there I got some great stuff.

Before heading out I made some scrambled eggs with BVI seasoning with a side salad of organic romaine and tomatoes.


At the farmers market produce was scarce (not much organic stuff either) and the market was mostly crafty people or bakers selling their items.  It was still a fun experience, but I was really hoping to load up on organic veggies! Guess joining a CSA might be the better idea in this city.

I picked up a Raw Summer Honey Bear and some Camomile Tea from Tea & Me.  We shared this Iced Chai Tea and Chocolate Biscottis from Joey Biscotti.


Very refreshing on a hot summer morning!

Since we were in Tampa we decided to stop by Publix GreenWise Market in Hyde Park.  I really stocked up on food!  We got tons of organic stuff, but I still felt unsatisfied with the veggie selection.  Maybe Whole Foods is better?

For lunch I made a quick grilled cheddar on whole wheat with organic mixed greens and tomatoes.

And enjoyed this Vita Coco 100% Pure Coconut Water.  Great for the skin and full of natural electrolytes.  I love anything coconut!

Later I had some Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips with Organic Medium Salsa... and then baked with cheddar cheese. Yum!


I ♥ organic blue corn chips!

Had a glass of Pinot Noir...

And for dinner I made Organic Turkey Tacos in Blue Corn Shells with side "salad" of avocado, green onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cheese.



After dinner I made Organic Zucchini Nut Muffins. OMG yummy!  Will do a recipe review on a separate blog post.

Yes, that's homemade icing!



Sunday, August 8th

I started my Sunday with another zucchini muffin with butter.


And an egg with cheddar, organic spinach and crispy bacon.


Plus a mimosa with a strawberry...


What a divine breakfast!

I later snacked on some organic strawberries with a little whipped cream.


And another few baby muffins... honestly I couldn't stop eating them for most of the day.

For lunch I had a repeat of Saturday's dinner... organic turkey tacos in blue corn shells.


I got a whole wheat pizza dough from Publix and made my own veggie pizza for dinner.


Tomato sauce, garlic, onion, mushrooms and spinach with cheddar and red pepper flakes.  I would have liked the dough to be crispier.  It turned out pretty chewy.

Au revoir!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

My Big 3-0

There's something looming on the horizon... my 30th birthday!  Yes, that's right... my 30th, not 20th as some people perceive.  (I just got carded for mimosa at brunch this past weekend!)  My 10 year high school reunion was in 2009.  I've been with my boyfriend for over 5 years now, had Roxy for almost 3.  Been working at T-Tapp a few years over a decade.  Time is flying!!!  I certainly don't feel 30... or look it, which is a nice perk!  I want to look and feel my best to *glow* my way into 30... and think it's time to step it up and refresh my game plan...  The whole milestone and all is a real motivator for me!   Besides, what better time than now?

Here are some things that I want to incorporate into my lifestyle to be my best:

Spa Days At Home
Treating yourself by doing things that make you feel good in the comfort of your home.  For me that's body and face brushing, magnesium oil foot soaks, salt baths, salt masks, facials made with organic ingredients (good enough to eat!), massage, FIR sauna sessions, relaxing and meditation, stretching and of course some T-Tapp!  Every year T-Tapp hosts a fitness event at the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa.  The "Retreat" includes a few daily workouts, spa pampering, lots of water and healthy eating.  My goal is to try to duplicate that type of environment at home. 

We just finished up the T-Tapp Beauty Boot Camp Spa Retreat and have some great ideas.  I will try out some of the recipes for homemade beauty products and treatments from Shelly Ballestero's book Beauty By God.  I'm excited about this!  When you feel amazing you glow.  Will post details of my spa days, which I plan on doing once or twice a week.  Who doesn't need some pampering in their life?

Eat More Organic and Local Produce
I've been reading more and more about the power of eating a diet of alive nutrients from organic plant-based foods.  This will feed the body antioxidants, amino acids, minerals and vitamins to combat aging and dis-ease.  I plan on introducing more fresh raw foods into my meal plan... found some great recipes too!  I already love green smoothies/drinks/monsters so I'm interested in discovering tasty mixtures of blended and juiced produce.  It feels like the timing is right and it's been calling to me.  I keep gathering more information on this subject without really trying to. Also want to do a wheatgrass detox with fresh juice!

This will include trips to the farmers markets and natural food stores (instead of Publix and Sweetbay all the time because they're convenient) and making mostly all of my own meals (maybe eating out a few times a week).

Eat Stop Eat
I've read all about this concept on the T-Tapp forum.  Eat Stop Eat is not really a diet.  It involves fasting for 18-24 hours straight (only drinking water and calorie-free beverages like tea or black coffee) once or twice a week, and eating normally the other days.  There's science behind this method and, from reading what the T-Tappers have to say about their experience, Eat Stop Eat has proven to be an effective way to naturally detoxify the body and assist in fat loss.

Personally, I never thought that I could skip a meal.  I always felt like my blood sugar would drop too low and I'd get sick.  Plus I love food!  To do Eat Stop Eat you must be mentally prepared and fully understand why you are fasting, not depriving yourself or having to follow some fad diet plan.  The ESE book is packed full of educational information on the program and will be helpful in preparing you mentally to fast.  It's a simple approach and makes sense to me.  I don't have weight to lose (actually surprised to find out I weigh 15 pounds less than I did this time last year!), so I'd be following this method for detox and elimination benefits.  Plus, it would be nice not to have to worry about what I'm eating for a day.

Taken straight from the Eat Stop Eat website, Brad Pilon (creator of the Eat Stop Eat intermittent fasting diet plan) says:

“Scientific Research Proves That Eat Stop Eat Will Help You Lose Weight, and Get Rid of Stubborn Body Fat – All While Preserving your Metabolism and Without Making You Lose Lean Muscle.”
I need to buy the book and get started on the program this week.  (Currently priced at $39.95 or $57.00 for the whole kit and kaboodle.)

Emotional Freedom Technique
I'm so curious about the concept of EFT or Tapping.  This is powerful stuff!  Again, I first heard about this on the T-Tapp forum.  (T-Tappers are cutting-edge when it comes to all things health related!)  I just received the DVD and book combo in the mail.  I can't wait to learn more about it and get started.

Build on Current Healthy Habits
I've been on this health kick and don't want to stop the momentum.  This is a lifestyle not a magic pill!

I'm going to continue on with my own Beauty Boot Camp at home to work on being the healthiest and happiest me.  Anyone care to join me?  You don't have to do what I do, but just implement a few new healthy habits to improve your health, beauty and longevity.

    Tuesday, July 6, 2010

    Meet the Lychee Fruit

    Have you ever heard of a fruit called Lychee
    [pronounced lee'-chee]
    Me either... Until my massage lady and dear friend, Margie, gave me one!


    I don't know about you, but if I saw this thing in the wild I would not think it was edible.  Lychee fruit almost looks intimidating to me.  Yet when you peel off it's red spiny shell a soft grape-like (super sweet and juicy) fruit is revealed!

    Warning, don't bite it like a grape! 
    There is a seed or nut in the middle, eat the fruit around that. Yum!

    Lychee fruit grows on trees in tropical areas of the globe with origins in China.  This fruit is from Margie's mothers home on Florida's east coast.  Eat local!

    What's your favorite kind of exotic fruit?

    Au revoir!


    P.S. I still have aspirations of eating more locally produced food. It's about time for another adventure to the farmer's markets!