Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I saw this recipe on a friend's FaceBook page and gave it a try. They contain remarkably few ingredients (and none of the typical cookie ingredients: no flour, butter, eggs, or oil.)

Skeptical of cookies based on bananas, I confess I swapped out the raisins for a few chocolate chips. (I chalked it up to that "cheat daily" guideline we were given by Jimmy Page.)

And I liked them. Alan liked them. (The kids, not so much, unfortunately.) I will make them again, and this time use raisins.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mash 3 ripe bananas into a mixing bowl.
Add:
- 1/3 c. Apple Sauce
- 2 c. oats
- 1/4 c. almond milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Stir it all together until fully mixed, then add 1/2 c. raisins

Scoop them by tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Happy baking...and eating!

For the Love of Lentils

In Genesis 25:29-34, Jacob is cooking red lentil stew, and his brother Esau comes in exhausted and wants some. Esau wants it so badly that Jacob is able to finagle trading a bowl of it for Esau’s birthright.

So what does this tell us? Real men eat lentils. Yep. Lentil soup is a meal made for a man—and with potential bargaining power, too.

Several years ago, my husband Alan and I started the slow process of changing the way we eat (we still have a long way to go.) Since organic food is pricey, we cut out most meat to better afford it. (Alan calls us “budgetarians” rather than “vegetarians.”)

Now that we’re learning how corrupted our meat sources are and how our bodies run cleaner with less of it anyway, I’m even more in love with lentils. Pair them with some brown rice, and you have an easy protein.

These are two of our favorite lentil recipes (kids, too!) They call for RED lentils--like Jacob’s stew (called “Red Pottage” or “Red Stew” depending on your Bible's translation.) They are smaller, take less time to cook, and tend to dissolve somewhat, which naturally thickens the soup (this is also good if you are still getting used to the texture of legumes.)

You’ll make a small investment in spices up front, but you’ll find that many very healthy, flavorful, ethnic recipes include these spices, and cooking these dishes can add a lot of delicious variety to your menu.

RED LENTIL COCONUT CURRY

This recipe is our #1 favorite. It’s thick and hearty and utilizes two vegetables I can still get at this time of year at the farmers' market—cabbage and cauliflower (both of which come in purple--purple cauliflower?!? Yep! With all the antioxidant benefits of other purple & blue fruits & veggies.) It’s from one of my favorite cookbooks, “Simply In Season,”  which organizes recipes by what vegetables and fruits are available in each season. Pretty cool.

Start some brown rice cooking on the stovetop (or in the oven if you only have two burners or two pots to work with). The soup won't take too much longer than the rice.

1 large onion, chopped

In large soup pot, sauté in 1T olive oil over med/high heat until transparent but not browned

1 T garlic (minced)

1 T ginger root (peeled, minced…or I’ve substituted ½ tsp. ginger powder)

2 tsp. curry powder

½ tsp. EACH ground turmeric, cumin, pepper

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

Add & reduce heat to med/low. Cook & stir constantly for 3 min. do not let spices & onion brown

1 can coconut milk

¼ cup tamari or soy sauce (a HUGE rabbit trail could be taken here about MSG & soy sauce, but I admit I use soy sauce in this recipe)

1 cup tomato sauce (I’ve often substituted a can of chopped tomatoes here w/great results)
2-3 bay leaves

Add & simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring often.

2 cups dried red lentils

5 cups water

In a separate saucepan, cook for 15 minutes while the rest of the soup is simmering in the soup pot. Add to the soup pot at the end of the 15/20 min.

1 med. Head cauliflower cut into 1-in. florets

1 large sweet potato (I’ve used white potatoes, too)

¼ head cabbage (cut in 1 in. chunks)

Add to soup pot & cook over med heat until veggies are just tender. Salt to taste. Serve over brown rice. Some people enjoy adding toppings such as Indian chutneys & pickles, fresh diced pears, roasted sunflower seeds, or plain yogurt (I admit I’ve never tried any of those—but they sound very interesting!)

RED LENTIL DAL ("Dal" refers to soups from India)

Our #2 favorite takes slightly less time to whip up, and I tend to have these ingredients on hand.

Again, start your brown rice on the stovetop first (or in the oven). This soup will be ready in under an hour!

1 onion

2 cups red lentils

5-6 cups water

Put in a pot together, bring to a boil, then simmer 15 min. partially covered

1 tomato, chopped (I’ve used a can of chopped tomatoes instead)

4 carrots, chopped

4 med. potatoes, chopped

1 can coconut milk

Add to the soup pot & simmer 15 minutes more.

While your soup is simmering, saute in a saucepan:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. dry mustard

½ tsp. red pepper flakes (I often omit these for my kids’ sakes)

2 tsp. cumin

3 T olive oil

Saute for 3 minutes or so, add to the soup at any point (swish some soup around in the sauté pan to get every last bit of spice out of it and into the soup!), and add salt to taste.

Enjoy!

Stop, Drop, and Plank...

...and give me 20!

Today, I decided that I'm sick of feeling like a blob after sitting at my desk all day and seeing a number like 2,202 on my fitbit report from yesterday (Boo!) It's time to step it up.

Here's an idea:

• Set an alarm on your phone for an hour.
• When it goes off, get up and hit the floor.
• Do a 30 second plank, 20 crunches, and another 30 second plank.
• Reset the alarm for an hour later.
• Next time it goes off, do the same thing, but add a trip up and down the stairs or some jumping jacks.
• Reset the alarm for an hour later.
• Next time it goes off, do the same and add one more thing.

I've been doing this all day and I feel SO much better than I did yesterday. And my steps are already at 3,037 at 3:23 PM. Bam! (Still not the promise land, but hey... it's better than yesterday and I feel stronger!) 

Remember the keys to a good plank- on your toes and elbows, shoulders back, elbows under shoulders, bottom down to make a flat line out of your body, head straight, and abs pulled up tight. This works your shoulders, back and abs (whole core), and quads. It's really one of the best things you can do to strengthen your core as a whole unit. See pic below. Happy planking! :)

Best Plant Based Diets

I know Jimmy is not a fan of the word "diet" and for good reason.  Diet suggest something you do temporarily to lose weight or get healthy for season.  However, a number of recent diets (or approaches to eating) are set up to help us focus on certain foods and avoid others.  US News recently published their take on the the Best Plant Based Diets.  Take a look and give your thoughts.

A Few Good Oats

Grabbed this recipe from family over the Christmas holiday. Waking up to warm, delicious, and HEALTHY oatmeal was such a treat.  It's so easy that even I can do it...you just put the ingredients in, stir, plug it in, and go to bed!

Crockpot Steel Cut Oatmeal

1/2 cup steel-cut oats (Pinhead, Irish, or Scottish)
1/2 cup flaxseed/barley/quinoa
1/4 cup dried cranberries 
2 1/4 cup hot water (not boiling)
1 1/8 cup almond or coconut milk
1/2 tbsp organic cinnamon
1 tbsp Truvia (granulated stevia)

Before bed, start by spraying crockpot with cooking spray. Add ingredients to pot. Stir well. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Top with pecans and a little almond/coconut milk. Or choose your favorite fruit. Blueberries are perfect! Refrigerate the leftovers for the rest of the week.

My notes: Make sure you spray the crockpot good. I haven't figured out how to keep it from sticking quite yet. I might be cooking it too long. We use Bob's Red Mill brand oats. I also added Chia for an extra healthy kick!

No More Resolutions

I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions. They are typically vague, immeasurable, and too hard to achieve, leaving most people to fail within the first month. 

As a part-time fitness instructor, I see the 'resolutioners' come into the gym for the first 6 weeks of the year all hyped up and then watch them dwindle away week by week until only the regulars are left at Valentine's Day. In my Biggest Loser competition teams, I've seen extreme success for the 6-8 week period and then complete regression as soon as the competition ends.

No more resolutions! I believe 'resolution' should be replaced with the phrase 'lifestyle change.' Here's to a happy, healthy new year with lifestyle changes abound! - Kelly

Fitness Goals for 2014: Think BIG!

Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to set some goals for 2014, specifically fitness and wellness goals.  As we often hear, it's always good to make goals SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reasonable and Time bound).  But where's the fun in setting a "reasonable" goal?  How about something BIG for this year?

Alan (68) and Janette Murray (64), of Australia set a VERY ambitious fitness and wellness goal last year...and attained it!  Check it out>>

So what are some of your BIG (or even not so big) goals for 2014?  Post them in the comments below