Peace, Love and Dairy Free (mostly...)

I'm always trying to find new ways to feel and look better. 

I knew that cutting dairy out of my diet was something that I hadn't tried and that I wanted to give a shot...but  never had the guts to follow through.

My skin was breaking out and not clearing up, I knew I had to change up what I was eating.  In particular, my forehead was breaking out. Which was not normal for me.  This was a sign of a digestion problem- slowly I have been cutting dairy out.

Now...before you start thinking I've gone crazy.  I still haven't cut out EVERYTHING.  I love cheese. I would eat cheese every day if I felt like it, so I still have cheese.  If you offered me ice cream, I'd still probably eat it. My general goal is to eliminate the things that I can easily substitute with non-dairy options, on a daily basis.

My biggest challenge was finding something to put in my morning coffee that could take the place of  half and half.  I had tried coconut creamer a few years ago, the French vanilla kind, but I just didn't care for the taste.  So, I went back to the half and half. 

I was at Whole Foods a little while back and I saw the same creamer- but there were different flavors available.  So Delicious Coconut Creamer- Original.  I bought it thinking "What the heck? If it works, awesome. If it doesn't, I'll just cook with it."

It ended up being just the thing I needed to eliminate the half and half from my morning coffee.  It is by NO means half and half, but it is 10 kCal per tablespoon and it is the best non-dairy option that I have been able to find.  ( and I am pretty sure I have tried them ALL.)

I've used this in my scrambled eggs as well, I use to throw in a touch of half and half- so i put a little of this in one day to see if it would still give a nice 'creamy' texture to the eggs.  It did.  No weird coconut flavor.

I have found this at Kroger and Whole Foods.  They have 3 different flavors: Original, French Vanilla, and Hazelnut.



My next obstacle was to substitute my 8 ounces of low-fat chocolate milk after I worked out.  I knew that this wasn't something that I could just get rid of, or my muscles would have a hard time repairing. I needed to find a non-dairy solution to my protein needs.

Enter: Sunwarrior Classic Protein (chocolate)

I was extremely skeptical about this stuff.  Again, my plan was that if I didn't like it, I would either send it back or use it to bake with.  I mix one scoop of this with 8 ounces of unsweetened chocolate almond milk in a blender bottle and 'shake it like a Poloroid picture.'  With other non-dairy proteins I've tried, its like drinking a mixture of sand in milk. Totally gross. 

This stuff is SMOOTH.  It has the texture of powdered sugar. Sunwarrior Protein is made from fermented brown rice protein, which is the difference between it and other brown rice proteins on the market.

Does it taste super amazing? No. It is tolerable, absolutely.  I have been using it for about 2 weeks now and have noticed that my stomach is less bloated and that I am looking a bit leaner.  The taste takes a bit of getting use to, but its well worth it. 

Bottom line? I have ordered another bag in the vanilla flavor to use for baking and smoothies at home.  I'll continue to order the chocolate to use after workout ( just because I feel like chocolate is a nice reward after a hard lift session).  Its not too expensive and it digests really well (aka no bloat or gas like with most dairy).  


Now...what can I use to put on my cereal and use for milk in my smoothies or baking? 

Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Milk

This is the stuff I like to mix my protein powder with.  I buy it when it goes on sale and stock up.  I always have a few in my cabinet, and a few in the fridge.  It is inexpensive and it has a good shelf life- also dairy free. I use the original or vanilla flavor on cereal or my smoothies- I keep the chocolate strictly for mixing with chocolate protein.  

Cutting out dairy can seem like a daunting task, it's not for everyone.  From my personal experience, making these small changes has left my skin 'glowing,' bags under my eyes are slowly going away and I have more energy ( possibly because my system isn't bogged down with trying to digest dairy all day).  I still won't give up cheese, it won't happen. 

Try substituting something you eat with a non-dairy option, notice how you feel, maybe taking some of the dairy out of your diet will benefit you as well.

Lots of love and coconuts,

Caitlin

***DISCLAIMER: I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO ENDORSE OR GIVEN ANY OF THESE PRODUCTS FOR FREE. THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION.***

 

High protein, low carb, clean, turkey tacos

Sometimes I'm tired and I don't really want to cook dinner.  This is one of those 'go-to' meals that I cook when I'm not feeling like making something complicated.

Disclaimer: while I do post lots of things about sugary, salty, delicious junk food.  I don't eat like that all the time.  I eat as clean as I possibly can and try to limit my carbs and increase my protein.  This is just what works for me.  Everybody is different. Do what works for you.

Turkey tacos are a quick and easy weeknight dinner.  It doesn't take a lot of time and it doesn't cost a lot of money.  

Here's what you need:

-1 pound ground turkey
-Taco seasoning of your choice (I used Vann's Taco Seasoning, that I bought at Whole foods.  You could EASILY make your own Taco Seasoning- I just didn't feel like it.)
-Romaine lettuce (whole leaves)
-Cheese of your choice (I had goat cheese crumbles lying around, so that's what I used.)

Here is the ground turkey I used.  I don't like using red meat all the time, however, use any ground meat of your choosing.  I try to buy my meat when it's on sale, then I freeze it.  I'm always using ground turkey or chicken breasts, so it never goes to waste.

Add a bit of oil of your choosing, I used safflower oil, to the pan before heating.  Turkey is very lean and will burn to the pan without a little oil- but don't get crazy! Cook the ground turkey, it will turn white when it is cooked.  Since you brown ground beef, do you white ground turkey? haha  Anyways, after its cooked I added around a 1/3 cup of water to the cooked meat.  Then about 1.5 tablespoons of taco seasoning.  

This is what the taco seasoning I used had in it.  I bought it because it was already put together and didn't have any 'junk' in yet.  When this runs out, I'll probably blend my own together.

I think its cool to use the romaine leaves at 'taco shells'.  I used goat cheese crumbles to top it off.  Use what you have in your fridge.  Sometimes the best meals come happen by accident this way!

Turkey tacos, plated and ready to be eaten!  If you find this too messy, tear up the lettuce and throw it all in a bowl and make a salad out of it!  If I had tomatoes or peppers I would have thrown those in with this too.  But, its close to the end of the week and my fridge is looking a little empty.

I hope you enjoyed tonight's quick blog.  Healthy food doesn't have to be complicated!  Don't be afraid to experiment with food and discover something new.

You are what you eat, so eat the good stuff,
Caitlin

Things I would not want to live without: TEA

There is one thing that my friends and family members know that I love, that thing is TEA. 

My love for tea started when I was young.  I fell in love with the tea at Chinese restaurants and started drinking different types of tea (as opposed to Lipton black tea) when I was around 10 years old. I wanted to enjoy that same tea at home.  So, my parents bought me some oolong tea in tea bags for home use.  That sparked my tastebuds at an early age for a variety of different teas. 

At Holidays, rather than gifts, there were numerous occasions where I was given exotic loose leaf teas, cups, mugs, kettles and fancy sugars that you couldn't find in grocery stores.  Even now, when my friends or family go places- they bring me back cups, tea balls, different kinds of tea.  I have an entire section of my kitchen dedicated towards storage of tea, tea making vessels and kettles.  I am not joking when I say that I LOVE tea.

Random facts about tea:

• Tea is the most popular drink worldwide, water being the most popular. 
• Tea was accidentally invented in 2737 BC when Chinese Emperor Shen Nung spotted some tea leaves blew into a pot of boiling water and produced a pleasing aroma.
• By 1800 England alone was consuming 24 million pounds per annum of tea of every type from white and green to oolong and black, all of it organically grown and hand-made, much of it fit for Emperors and kings. Most tea consumed in England between 1650 and 1850 was green and oolong - not black
• An average of three billion cups of tea are consumed daily worldwide.

There are many different kinds of tea, the basics being: black, white, green, oolong.  All teas come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis.There are also herbal and rooibos teas, but those are not actually made from the tea leaf. 

White tea- is the lightest of all teas.  It comes from the bud of the tea leaves, the youngest leaves.  This kind of tea has the lowest level of caffiene and hightest level of antioxidants.  Good for skin and complection.  Brewing temperture of 160 degrees.

Green tea- is made from the same parts at white tea, when the leaves are a bit more mature.  Green tea contains between 5%-10% caffiene.  It can also help reduce cholesterol. Brewing temperture of 180 degrees.

Oolong tea- is a semi femented tea, this is the kind you come across in Chinese restaurants- usually a blend.  Oolong tea is a good digestive tea and is also linked to weight loss.  Brewing temperture of 190-200 degrees.

Black tea- this is probably what you grew up drinking.  This is the most popular tea in the US.  Black tea is fully fermented, containing up to 20 percent caffiene per cup.  Brewing temperture of 200-220 degrees.

Herbal teas and Rooibos tea aren't technically 'tea'.  Herbal teas can include chamomile, peppermint, herbs and other spices blended together for enjoyment or a medicinal purpose.  Rooibos tea, also known as red bush tea, comes from a plant native to Africa.  Rooibos tea is extremely high in antioxidants and boasts a sweet, red cuppa tea.  It has similar benefits to white tea.

Ok, so there are all these kinds of teas, but how in the world do you properly brew them?

You have a few options here.  Best case sceneario: you have loose leaf tea and a kettle with either a little basket for the tea or a tea strainer.  This is ideal because it allows you to immerse the loose leaf tea in the kettle giving the tea time to 'bloom'.  When the tea has room to move around, it will brew beter. 

I like to do this by getting my water ready (usually by electric kettle), warming the tea pot (let the hot water sit in there a few minutes) then dump that water down the sink.  I then add my loose leaf tea, whether directly to the pot or in a little tea basket.  I add a little water, enough to moisten the tea- then I give it a second to 'open up'.  Tea is dry, you are essentially rehydrating it when you add the water. By giving it a little dose of water before filling the pot- it can 'open up' better.  Thus creating a better flavor.  After the tea sets for 10 seconds or so, I add the remaining water to the pot and let it brew for the desired time.  Usually this is dictated on the package of tea or you can google on the internet


This is important (to me at least) take the tea out of the water! DO NOT let it sit there and steep for the duration of the time you drink the tea.  This not only burns the tea, but it causes tannins which will make the tea taste bitter.  The only exception in this is with herbal or rooibos teas.  The longer you steep those teas, the stronger the flavor and the higher the concentration of tea in the water. 

Ok.  Now for my favorite kinds of teas (in each category) and why I like them. 

White tea:  Silver needle, I get mine from Teavana.  I like this tea because it has no frills, no fancy flavors, just pure white tea.  It is a little earthy in flavor, but sweet and subtle at the same time.  I like to enjoy this tea before I go to bed, usually with a few piroline cookies.   http://www.teavana.com/the-teas/white-teas/p/silver-needle-white-tea

Green tea: ok, so this isn't technically a straight up green tea.  Pouchong tea falls somewhere inbetween green tea and oolong tea. Consider it a lightly oxidized green tea.  My favorite is Coconut Pouchong, from Golden Moon tea.  This tea was introduced to me by my favorite yoga teacher and healing lady extrodinare- Melita (hi Melita).  It tastes like the beach.  There is enough coconut flavor that you get the point, but its light and not overwealming.  http://www.goldenmoontea.com/coconut-pouchong.html

Oolong tea- Oolong tea will always be my favorite. I LOVE it with a ton of sugar, but I don't drink it that way very often.  My favorite comes from Golden Moon.  http://www.goldenmoontea.com/imperial-formosa-oolong.html 

Black tea- there are MANY different varieties of black tea out there.  Black tea has two purposes for me, and I like different brands and blends for those.  For hot tea, drinking by the cup I like PG Tips.  This is your typical, English style, blended black tea.  It is smooth without being bitter and they have a monkey as their mascot (who can't love that)? 

For ice tea, I will not brew anything besides Luzianne tea.  It is the perfect tea for your 'sweet southern tea' on a summers day, while sitting on your theorhetical porch in your therhetical rocking chair. 

I hope you enjoyed this little journey into the world of tea with me.  Broaden your horizons today and try a new blend or variety that you have never had before!

Rainy day cream of tomato soup and Asiago cheese croutons

Yesterday was one of those 'blah' days where it was rainy, dreary and just not a nice day outside.  One of those days where you don't want to get out of bed and the thought of putting on "real" pants seems like a daunting task.  All I could think was how perfect it would be to make soup.  

I consulted with the refrigerator and pantry to see what I had that could be used.  It just so happens that I had many tomatoes that were about to spoil. In addition to that, my mom had made bread that was going stale and needed to be used.  So....tomato soup it was.

As I had never made cream of tomato soup before, I referred to Ina Garten's recipe for guidelines on how to create this masterpiece.  

Although I did add a full cup of half and half to the recipe, I stand by that it is still a relatively healthy soup.  With five pounds of fresh tomatoes, fresh carrots, fresh onion and fresh basil, the indulgence of the half and half is minor when it comes to the nutritional value of this soup.  ( Tomatoes= lots of lycopene and vitamin C)

The basis of this soup was two large carrots, a medium red onion and roughly five pounds of fresh tomatoes. I chose to use solely organic ingredients for this soup.  Anytime you eat the skin of a fruit or vegetable, I think that is an important choice to make.

As I have many picky eaters in my family that have issues with texture, I ran ALL the ingredients through the Vitamix. This is the carrot and red onion post Vitamix.  As said before, I love using the Vitamix, not a day goes by that I don't use it for something.  When making this soup I found it to be especially handy and prepping all my ingredients.

The carrot and red onion were sauteed until tender in some extra virgin olive oil.

I put all the tomatoes through the Vitamix prior to cooking as well.  This is the end result.

Chicken stock, garlic, fresh basil, pureed tomatoes, half and half, salt and pepper are added to the pot.  This was brought to a boil and then allowed to simmer for approximately 40 minutes.

Who wants to have soup without some awesome homemade croutons?  My mom had made a few loaves of bread that were going stale.  I cut them into cubes here and coated them in olive oil, garlic and freshly grated Asiago cheese ( yep...I ran it through the Vitamix too.  I wasn't about to grate all that cheese by hand.)

Croutons in the oven.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Croutons and soup ready to be served.

By the end of cooking this, I was really hungry and forgot to take a "pretty" picture of the soup with the croutons.  So, this was my actual plate about midway through eating.  Once the soup was finished cooking, I ran the whole batch through the Vitamix again so that all the ingredients blended together perfectly.  

 My first adventure with making soup using the Vitamix and only fresh ingredients proved to be a success.  The croutons were the perfect pairing for this soup adding a little bit of pizazz with the Asiago cheese.  The soup was eaten last night and for lunch today as well.  It made for the perfect meal on a rainy, gross and dreary day.  


Lots of vitamin C,
Caitlin

My Melting Pot Birthday Celebration

The Melting Pot is unquestionably one of my favorite restaurants to go. Unfortunately, I don't go very often because I don't find myself having $100+ dollars to spend on a meal.  Thankfully though, my family likes to treat me to dinner at The Melting Pot for my birthday.  


The meal consists of 3-4 courses, depending on what you order.  While the food isn't the most amazing cuisine, the ambiance makes up for it.  While at The Melting Pot, you get an opportunity to linger over your food and interact with those you are dining with.  


On this occasion, we got a cheese course, salad, meat and dessert ( my favorite!).


For the first course, we had Swiss cheese to dip a variety of 'dippers' in.  Dippers include bite size piece of bread, vegetables and Granny Smith apples.  The Granny Smith apples are my favorite dipper; the mix of salty and sweet is really good. 


My second course was a traditional wedge salad, which consists of a 'wedge' of iceberg lettuce topped with bacon and blue cheese dressing.


The third course was the meat course.  I had 6 oz. filet mignon, but I also photographed a family member's sirloin teriyaki.


The final course was the chocolate course.  I decided to use my birthday wish and get all white chocolate.  My family members, for comparison, ordered half milk chocolate and half white chocolate.  


The staff brought my dessert 'dippers' with a birthday candle in a mini piece of cheesecake.  Check out the photos below to see what a dinner at The Melting Pot is like!  

You can't have cheese without wine!  This is just a basic 'by the glass' Pinot Grigio.

For my main course I had filet mignon, asparagus and Portabello mushrooms. 

Will had sirloin teriyaki, which is his favorite.

This is what the meat course looked like before we demolished it.  The meat is cooked on the table in various liquids.  Ours had a white wine base, broth, garlic, mushrooms and a touch of cherry kirsch.

Ying-yang chocolate!  Yum.

The best part of the whole meal, dessert!  The Rice Krsipie treats dipped in chocolate are amazingly good.

This is the table before the havoc of our hunger wrecked the table setting.

I would recommend everyone try fondue at least once in their life.   I probably won't get to go back to The Melting Pot until my birthday next year, but it makes it all that more special.  


If I lived closer to Pittsburgh, The Melting Pot would be my regular Friday or Saturday evening hang out for dessert fondue and cocktails.


Chocolate covered everything,
Caitlin

Chaya, the Mayan miracle plant

On my journey to Mexico during spring break, I had one alterior motive:  find some cool, unique, interesting food that is only in Mexico.

This magical food presented itself as we took the 2.5 hour drive to Chichen Itza. 

After a long, hot (and I mean HOT) morning of touring the beautiful Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, we cooled off in a nearby cenote.  There are more than 6,000 cenotes (sen-oh-tays) in Yucatan peninsula, Ik Kil is a short drive from Chichen Itza.



A borrowed photo of the Ik Kil cenote near Chichen Itza.  I was unable to take any photos due to risk of my camera going for a swim.



  After a cooling swim in this cenote, we had a chance to sample some authentic Yucatan/Mayan cuisine at the historic hotel Mayaland.  Mayaland is the world's oldest hotel inside an archaeological park, built in 1923 by the Barbachano family, who own and operate it to this day.

While at Mayaland, they had a full buffet of foods including hand made tortillas ( cooked on a hot stone), Mayan pork, churros, papaya as well as margartias.

It was at this buffet that I discovered this 'miracle plant'  chaya. 

I am unsure of how this drink was made.  I believe it was a combonation of water, sugar and chaya leaves.

According to the National Institute of Nutrition in Mexico City, ingesting chaya will:

• Improve blood circulation,
• help digestion,
• improve vision,
• disinflame veins and hemorrhoids,
• help lower cholesterol,
• help reduce weight,
• prevent coughs,
• augment calcium in the bones,
• decongest and disinfect the lungs,
• prevent anemia by replacing iron in the blood,
• improve memory and brain function and
• combat arthritis and diabetes.

A nutritional analysis shows that chaya is richer in iron than spinach, and a powerful source of potassium and calcium. 

For more information on the nutritional and health benefits of chaya, check out this website http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/v3-516.html 


While Mexico didn't offer many familiar food options to me, I was obsessed with the fresh fruits that were always available.  I can see why it is that Mexican's drink so many fruit based beverages, the fruit is everywhere!

The rest of my trip to Chichen Itza looked a like this:

A few of the homemade tortillas with Mayan pork.  Rice and beans as the side.

Fresh watermelon and papaya.  There was a lot of papaya available during my trip.  Papaya has many digestive properties due to its enzyme, papain.  You can purchase papain over the counter in chewable form.  Eating papaya fresh is also a way of absorbing this enzyme.

It wouldn't have been a trip to Mexico without a margarita. 

In front of the largest pyramid! Hola from Chichen Itza!

Green plants and Mexican adventures,
Caitlin Eats & Bakes

Sister Bakes' Snickerdoodles

For those who do not know....my younger sister has been hoarding the most perfect snickerdoodle recipe.  This recipe was 'borrowed' from a family member years ago, yet has never returned.  I have attempted to bribe and blackmail her to get a copy this recipe, with little success.

She has sent me photos of these fabulous snickerdoodles being made. 



After the dough has been mixed, prior to be rolled in cinnamon sugar (on the left hand side)  Apparently, another important aspect of making snickerdooles is an iced-coffee from Starbucks. 



Rolled in cinnamon-sugar and ready for baking!

*Ding* cookies are done!



I was going to go work out, but then I was like......is that a plate of snickerdoodles?


One day I will get my hands on this recipe.  It has the perfect balance of soft and crunchy. 

Until then....