Tuesday, November 19, 2013

A warming breakfast

I'm not over pumpkin yet. Seems the rest of the internet is moving on, but not me. Monday was cold and wet in Kelowna, and mornings are dark. So it was lovely to wake up to pumpkin pie millet. Because breakfast is a big deal around here, I sugared up a few nuts and seeds to top it.

 

1/2 cup millet
1/2-3/4 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup apple juice
1 1/2 cups water
Dash salt
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves as desired (a dash of each works well).

Cook on low overnight. Serve topped with milk of choice and nuts and seeds. 

I tossed a bunch of nuts and seeds in a fry pan with a bit of brown sugar and a pinch of salt. The sugar wasn't melting, so I sprinkled a bit of water in, which did the trick.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Creating an Allergy?

With all the clean eating I've been doing, and the healthy diet we follow 90% of the time, I have noticed when I indulge in something processed, something is happening. My throat feels bumpy and puffy for about a day after. I first noticed this during the summer. I was craving corn chips, Fritos to be exact. Not flavoured Fritos, just the old school curled corn chips. But the next day, I noticed the throat thing. It didn't happen again for a while, and then it happened with a "natural" snack. They were corn twists, with only corn, salt, oil and nutritional yeast as the ingredients.

Lately, it has been happening more frequently. I can't pinpoint what it is from exactly. But it doesn't happen when I eat unprocessed, whole foods.

I did a little research to see if there is anything on causing an allergy, but guess what? That's the million dollar question. If we could figure out how an allergy is caused, we could also figure out how to prevent it.

Because mine hasn't been life threatening, and because avoiding processed foods isn't a bad thing, I'm just going to observe and see what happens for now, making note of what I ate the day it happens. Anyone else notice anything like this?

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Updates

So I'm in the midst of two more 30 day challenges. This one http://pipersrun.com/2013/05/30/30-day-arm-challenge-are-you-up-for-it/ this on http://30dayfitnesschallenges.com/classes/30-day-abs-challenge/#_

They are crazy difficult! I've decided it will take closer to 60 days as I build more gradually, and take more time off between.

I finished my green smoothie challenge with a bang, enjoying apples, ginger, lemon and greens. I often throw in an unfinished carrot my kids leave behind. Also enjoyed vegetable rich soups, purée ing any leftover roasted vegetables, rice, tomatoes, peppers....whatever.

And I'll leave you with this Pumpkin Smoothie:

1cup milk of choice
1/2 cup puréed pumpkin
Handful of pecans
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves as desired
A couple of dates, for sweetness
Ice

It was amazing!