A Yummy Healthy Foods Review!

I am a health food junkie. When my mom and I decide to go to the natural foods store (Tau in Laval), we spend hours and too much money prancing down the aisles. We want to try absolutely everything and we have a food fest when we get home. This here post is some of what I brought home last week on my treasure hunt, reviewed here for you. As we say in french "mes coups de coeur".

Kashi TLC 7 Whole Grains Crackers and Covered Bridge Lime Tortilla Chips

Both are "wow", yet for very different reasons. The Kashi crackers are grainy, crispy and slightly nutty-sweet. Paired with a blue cheese, the tongue is left with a buttery aftertaste. Delicious with cheese and soup or just as a snack on their own. At 2.99$ on special they were well worth it! I would buy these again, however, I would get them at Metro since I saw them there for 3.49$ regular priced and I go there every week anyway.

THE chips. Intense. Zingy. Never ever tasted something which such lime kick in the mouth. Makes me think of the bite of salt and vinegar but only from lime juice. They are perfectly sized (I hate multiple bite chips!), perfectly salted and perfectly crispy without being crumbly. Price was 3.49$ and again well worth it.


SunLand Dark Chocolate Creamy Peanut Butter

Finally! I had been wondering if this type of thing existed in Canada, having only ever read about it on Kath's blog! I was able to spoon some of this creamy concoction over my oatmeal and I must say that I was not disappointed! The chocolate tames the peanuty taste to an undertone without being overwhelming and there is just a hint of sweetness. I was afraid it would taste fake and Nutella like but I was pleasantly surprised. Guess you can't go wrong when its made from REAL organic ingredients! Nom Nom! This pot cost 5.49$ - not overpriced for organic nut butter but I wouldn't start making cookies with it!

Maple Bacon Flavored Tempeh

This sounded delightful sandwiched between lettuce and tomato. It was but not as much served plain with eggs the next morning. I love tempeh as compared to tofu (not that I don't enjoy tofu) texture wise. It's more chewy and dense... two things that real bacon isn't! The taste was definately there but on it's own it was all wrong! I much prefer the Porat bacon flavored veggie burgers (made here in Québec!) also from tempeh I believe. They are definitely a must on your grocery list!




Olympic Krema Greek Style Yogurt - Vanilla Infused

This all natural, organic, super creamy yogurt is delicious on just about everything. Watch out for the fat though; no additives means no gelatin, thus the decadent consistency is all due to its 10% fat content. I used it mostly to top fruit, french toast and crumbles - it resembles a cross between sour cream, yogurt and whipped cream - heavenly! At 5.00$ a pop, it is better used sparingly...oh but so worth it!


That's about it for now... I leave you with one of the best breakfast I have had in a long time:
Cinnamon Bun, halved, dipped in egg and pan fried, topped with maple syrup caramelized apples and a scoop of here greek yogurt... NOM! Bon Appetit!

An Ongoing Journey...Breastfeeding and Fibromyalgia

Baby Arielle is almost 2 months old now and things have changed only slightly for the better. While fibromyalgia did not seem to assail me the first few weeks post-partum, the symptoms are now back to what I have gotten used to be "normal". I am eternally tired, achey and get easily grumpy. Breastfeeding obviously doesn't help my case as:
- I am up on Arielle's demand, whether that's at 4am or during my 3pm nap, when I have time to nap that is.
- The position I breastfeed in tires my back and shoulders, spots already tender from my fibro.

The solution is quite straightforward but difficult to attain. I must sleep more and exercise, as this will give me physical strength and ease my symptoms. However, breastfeeding 9-12 times a day leaves very little time. In fact, some days I have to actually schedule time to eat and shower and when hubby gets home I tend to want to cook and clean. If I nap during the day, it is usually by cutting out a meal or a shower, which then cuts on time when hubby returns home. Since hubby works, I need to get up at night and do everything (diaper change, etc) which takes around 2 hours each time. My breastfeeding schedule, which includes supplementing with formula or expressed milk, simply does not make time to exercise... here is an example of half of one of my days:

9h30 - baby cries, wake up, run to the bathroom, come back, undress her and put her to the breast.
9h50 - she has fallen asleep at the breast. Get up, change her diaper to wake her up, put her onto the other breast.
10h10 - fallen asleep again. Burp her, try to lay her down.
10h15 - she's still hungry. Prepare formula or breast milk in a bottle.
10h40 - Put her in her chair and pump each breast to empty whatever she didn't nurse.
11h15 - Eat breakfast.
11h30 - she's ready to feed again.

Its a tiring vicious circle. I have been told repeatedly "why don't you give up?" but I still trudge on. Why? Because I want what is best for my daughter, no matter how many times I cry, feel resentment, despair... We have been slowly weening her off the formula, giving 1.5oz after each feeding instead of 2.5 we used to give her before. She is now 2 months old and drinks 2 extra times a day as compared to when we started weening her. Its rough but I know we are working towards exclusively breastfeeding her and I have hope.

My message to mothers with issues breastfeeding and or with fibromyalgia, who think of quitting is don't. Get help, surround yourself with positive energy and people. I may not be able to take meds whilst breastfeeding, nor do much exercise (I do walk a few times a week, if only to go to the store!), nor get much sleep... but baby Arielle is worth it ... worth the multiple visits to the breastfeeding clinic, the herbs and meds to up my milk production, the pumping, feeling like a cow, the nudging and sweet talking to get her to latch properly. I know that in a few weeks, maybe a month, I WILL be breastfeeding her exclusively... or so i hope.
In the meantime,

To Breastfeeding!

An Ode to Pumpkin part II

My parents came over for supper on Friday and my mom brought Pumpkin Pie! It reminded me that I needed to write about my favorite pumpkin dessert recipes!

Baking with pumpkin (or squash for that matter) usually requires pureed pumpkin, which can be easily done with the roasted flesh and a hand blender. "Pumpkin Pack" is indeed better as Valerie commented on my last post, but using it with all its juices is doable as long as you play with the amount of liquid. In my all time favorite pumpkin dessert (you guessed it, my mom's pie) we use the roasted flesh as is, neither blended or packed (the recipe requires blending later). Here it is in all it's glory....

Mom's Pumpkin Pie

serve this baby cold and slathered with whipped cream...yummy! For you guys watching your weight, replace the brown sugar by Splenda, place the mix in a ramekin for a crust less pie and top it with dream whip or sugar free cool whip (or is it fat free?).

Pumpkin Bread

I modified this recipe to get the above. I cut some fat and added spices mainly. It's wonderfully dark and rich because of added molasses and reminds us slightly of gingerbread. You can ice it with orange cream cheese icing, or eat it warm as is or with a little butter! Nom nom.

Pumpkin "Butter"

I have usually made this with squash in the past (buttercup or pepper) but its intended use is for pumpkin - just that pumpkin is not available year round and this recipe requires it cubed and raw... with a lot of maple syrup which is much cheaper in the spring! It is delicious on toast, on social tea like cookies, on Kath's banana whipped oatmeal (as is pumpkin itself!) and mixed with yogurt and I am assuming, on ice cream! I gave little jars of this on my wedding day as a favor...they were a big hit!

You can also use pumpkin to bake muffins or cookies and even use it in pancakes and oats for breakfast. I have also used pumpkin purée to replace applesauce in cake recipes... like this AMAZING carrot cake (the replacing wasn't my idea, but It's a great idea!) which I also made and iced with Orange Cream cheese icing for my Mom's birthday... It doesn't taste like pumpkin, but it adds a moistness to it.

Last but not least, I would like to point you towards Valerie's blog La Grignoteuse for her delectable Pumpkin and orange preserve... It is truly amazing! So that wraps up my love for pumpkin... What do you guys do with it?

An Ode to the Pumpkin

Well, Halloween just passed and fall is coming to an end. It actually snowed here on Saturday and trick or treat-ers were very few. Apart from candy (ok, ok, not a real food), there are so many “fall” foods that I enjoy and I must say that our happy jack o’ lanterns come pretty darn close to the top! This versatile squash can be used in a large variety of ways, from appetizers all the way through to desserts and this is what makes it so awesome in the kitchen.

I’d like to explain my favorite method to cook and prepare pumpkin, because too often I hear people complaining about how complicated it is. Well it really isn’t! So before you reach for that can, grab a nice big orange one and follow these basic instructions! First we…Slice the pumpkin in half. Yes, just in half. Arm yourself with a bread knife, the serrations seem to help and these knives also tend to be much longer which in this case is an advantage! Two…empty those seeds…and grill them! They are packed with good stuff such as protein and magnesium and with a little bit of olive oil and salt they are really tasty! Three…spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, flop down both sides of the pumpkin (or one at a time if you chose a huge one) onto the sheet skin side up (meat facing down) and bake in the oven at 450F until skin has browned and pumpkin has collapsed (the pumpkin caves in as it bakes). This can take from around 40mins to 2hrs depending on your pumpkin. It may never collapse… Check it regularly by poking the meat with a fork and watching for water accumulation at the bottom of the cookie sheet. This usually happens when the pumpkin is done. Four… spoon out flesh and use, or freeze! It’s ready for using! Now wasn’t that simple? Here are some of my favorite recipes!

Soups and entrees

Curried pumpkin soup with maple caramelized onions

It’s yummy, and it’s healthy! The site it is posted on will even give you the calories per serving! The above is my version of a recipe I found on here.

Roasted pumpkin … sounds dull, but it is very versatile! You can roast it with maple syrup and get something like this glazed squash recipe or mix it like I did with sweet potato, carrots and brussel sprouts served with chicken, which I was inspired by Kath’s recipe. Eat it hot and serve it cold over salad the next day to get something like this!



Use it as a vegetable! Like in my version of “chana masala”, an Indian chick pea curry dish in which I add cubes of pumpkin and cauliflower florets to the onion and tomato base. It’s also delicious in vegetarian chili!

Nom nom… next post: onto desserts!

"Post" Partum

The idea of blogging came to me last Christmas. Two weeks or so after my first post, I found out I was pregnant and the first horrid symptoms came along. Blogging was now no longer something I could fathom doing; all I could muster was going to work and dragging myself home. Baby girl Arielle now a month old, I have decided to write my second post (hopefully with more to come) on my coping with fibro whilst pregnant. I am hoping that it may just help somebody out there!

Pregnancy and Fibromyalgia
Each and every pregnancy is different and this post won’t be truly complete until I have compared my first pregnancy with the other(s) – yes I do want another child- but this is at least a start. The first few months (4 in fact) were burdened by “morning” sickness. Really, it was all day sickness for me. Nausea and vomiting are not associated with fibromyalgia but fatigue seems to worsen nausea and THAT is definitely on the symptom list. In my case, I think this is really THE number one symptom that was worsened by pregnancy. It is common for pregnant women to feel very tired in their first trimester but it usually seems to go away at the second. For me, the fatigue was debilitating. I often had to leave work early and when I got home, I would often fall asleep on the couch or cry whilst my poor husband cooked us supper. I was in bed by 9 and up at 7 and didn’t do much in between. Once the nausea passed, the workdays were more bearable but the intense need to sleep and the lack of concentration made many afternoons completely unconstructive.
Then came the acid reflux months, which continued to limit what I wanted and could eat. The irritable bowel syndrome aspect of fibromyalgia was obviously worsened by the bad food habits taken up during pregnancy but that could probably have been avoided had I been strict with myself. The last months were also burdened by lower back and leg pain as well as water retention. The pain felt from fibromyalgia simply added to this characteristic pain. Since exercise was difficult from time being scarce (from sleeping so much), the pain got worse and worse. Only thing that helped me during those months was my weekly massage; a must if you can afford it. As my rheumatologist puts it, a healthy diet, sleep and exercise is what makes fibro manageable…no excuses!

What the professionals say
Well I really have not found much info on the matter, but what I did find is more or less summed up by my own experience; more fatigue and more pain. These three websites mention the possibility that fibromyalgia symptoms are LESSENED by the hormones produced during pregnancy, and I have heard of cases where this is actually true. No such luck for me, however, symptoms seem a little better now post partum than they were pre-pregnancy. If this is hormonal, a change in perspective since my difficult pregnancy or a real improvement is impossible to say. I will have to keep you posted! No studies done apart from one in Sweden… I can’t read Swedish! In the mean time, here are three of the numerous websites.

http://www.pregnancy-info.net/fibromyalgia.html
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_pregnancy.html
http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/guide/fibromyalgia-and-pregnancy

Baby needs feeding...peace out!

First Post - A Welcome word, then onto food!

Well I've been planning to start this blog for like a month now, and I have finally decided to sit down and take the time to make this happen. I must start off by saying that the idea of posting a blog came from two wonderful (though one i do not know personally) people who helped push me that extra step towards compilating my journey through health. I have always eaten relatively well, following fads here and there, but now I have a different outlook!
Firstly, "Kath eats Real Food", a blog about healthy living which gave me the wonderful gift of Oatmeal. Once you make Kath type oats, you will never want to go back to instant ever again!
Secondly, My good friend Valerie who created "The Cherry Cake" which is also a blog about making and reviewing healthy recipes. We both love the oatmeal :)

These past few weeks have been very stressful (stress is my arch nemesis) and I have been feeling the muscle pains, weakness and chronic fatigue increasingly. Finding a way to unwind and manage my stress is one of my greatest goals, as everything I have tried has failed.

-Yoga: I loved it at first, but my back problems hinder me from being able to perform it properly which just makes me more stressed and aggravated as I sit in "child pose" watching everyone else doing just fine with the head stands and wheel barrows... *sighs*
-Meditation: my brain won't shut off...ever... which means I spend half an hour sitting there with my eyes closed stressing out about what to make for supper.
-strenuous exercise: My fibromyalgia makes that insanely difficult. My exercise program right now simply consists of walking with Burny (my 1 year old puppy) for 30mins everyday. It is not bad in itself, but not strenuous enough.

I am open to solutions!!

Now for food...
I made a wonderful Risotto for dinner tonight which was both tasty and beautiful. It had a deep shade of burgundy purple which, paired with a bowl of crisp greens was a joy for the eyes and mouth! I was inspired by a recipe on a french food blog called "Saveur Passion" but modified it slightly.
Red Cabbage Risotto
approx. 2 cups of shredded red cabbage
1 cup arborio rice
4 cups poultry or vegetable stock
2 spring onions
1 cup red wine (nothing fancy)
pinch of thyme, garlic powder and cayenne
fresh parmesan cheese

soften the onions and cabbage in some olive oil and add rice and spices. Mix with wooden spoon so all rice is "glazed" with oil. Add the wine and mix quickly. Like any risotto you then have to add simmering stock to rice mixture a laddle at a time, letting it absorb all liquid before adding more. Do this until you have no stock left. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Voila! The secret to a creamy risotto is lowish heat and lots of mixing to release the gluten and break up the rice... Oddly enough, kinda like Kath's oatmeal!

Later during the evening I had a craving for sweet, so I had one of my homemade yogurts with a spoonful of one of my favorite jams ; the E.D. Smith no sugar added peach, apricot and passion fruit spread. YUM! I have been making my own yogurt for a while now, and appreciate that It has no additives and the consistency and sourness I like it to be! The trick is to put equal part fat free evaporated milk and 1% fat regular milk. I use storebought lyophilised starter and prepare it during the night in a yogurt maker.
With added fruit or jam there is no need for sugar
and when I want an extra sweet treat I simply add non pasteurized honey... Its very thick and creamy... Don't hesitate to ask more detail if you are interested, making homemade yogurt is especially rewarding and healthy! Valerie got inspired by my recipe and posted her own post on the subject of making yogurt.

WELL! that was a long blog for a short lazy sunday and I'm due for a long night of sleep! Tommorow we are having oatmeal for breakfast and i'll be dreaming about all the combinations before falling fast asleep...

....ZZZzzzz.......