Tropical Delight

I've been making this ice cream all week.  Both Dh and I love it.  It's rich, sweet and oh so creamy.  If you like pineapple and banana, you'll love this.  If you're not fond of coconut and or pecans, you  can leave them out.

I tried different variations with this.  You may have to test this to see what works best for you.  I tried with the pineapple unfrozen and both bananas frozen, but it came out too soupy.

So I tried with everything frozen and it was really too hard to blend.  So I've found that the following works best.

To freeze the pineapple, I drain the canned (large)chunks in a colander really well.  I used a cake pan and stood them up so I'd have more room because you need to make sure that they aren't touching one another. 

I stuck them in the fridge in the morning so they'd be ready for our after-supper ritual. 

The week before it was chocolate ice cream and the week before that it was strawberry.  :-)  I think next week I'll try to do a pistachio ice cream.

If I had to choose a favorite, it'd be really hard to choose one, but I might have to choose the chocolate, over the Tropical Delight . . . . .  but they're really neck in neck because they're both so delicious. 

Tropical Delight

1 - 20 oz can drained pineapple chunks frozen - directions explained above
1 overripe small frozen banana cut into pieces
1 small overripe banana not frozen
3/4 - 1 cup of organic unsweetened vanilla soy milk
4 Tablespoons unsweetened coconut from health food store (optional)
4 Tablespoons pecans chopped (optional)

Blend in the vitamix until completely incorporated and serve.   Makes 4 servings.  Halve it for two people.

Without coconut and pecans it's 127 calories per serving.

With coconut and pecans it's 193 calories per serving.

My Dh's preference is with the coconut and pecans, while my favorite way to eat this is without both of them.  I love the tart taste of the pineapple mingled with the sweet smoothy texture of the banana and the soft creamy taste of the soy milk with a slight hint of vanilla.  But either way it's delicious.  Hope you enjoy it!

Better Than Lara Bars

I visited a blog recently that isn't vegan, nor is it E2L compliant.  But it has some good looking recipes that are vegetarian and/or vegan and will appeal to many nutritarians who eat a more healthy diet or those who follow Eat To Live, McDougall, or the Engine 2 Diet.

Some of the recipes can be adapted to eating the E2L way by omitting the salt and oil.  Some of the baked goods can be adapted as well.  There's some great looking soups that appeal to me, but the next recipe I'm trying will be the brownies. 

Okay, back to the bars.  :)

They're easy to throw together and if you follow her suggestions with the foil and wax paper, it makes it so much easier and less messy.  Hope you'll give these a try.  I think you'll be thrilled with the results.  You can vary the dried fruits, nut and seeds which I'll do the next time I make them.

You could add these to your children's lunch.  I'm sure they'll love them.  Have them help you make them and add their favorite dried fruits and nuts.

These would be great for on the go, after working out at the gym or before.  They'd be great if you go camping or trail walk. 

I'm looking forward to trying some of her other recipes soon! I hope you will too and leave a comment here as to what you decided to try and whether or not you liked it.

Eat For Health, Everyone! :)

You'll find the recipe here: http://enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com/2010/02/fruit-seed-nut-power-bars-no-added.html

Think That Bagged Salad's Safe?

Do you wash your already-prepared salad greens (including the ones that say they've been double or triple washed) that you purchase from your local grocery store?  You just might wish you had after reading this article from Consumer Reports.

Consumers Union has recently tested bagged salad greens and also greens found in plastic clamshells sold in supermarkets.  The results of this study may surprise you.

Bacteria was found in samples taken that are common indicators of poor sanitation and results also showed fecal contamination. In fact, some levels of samples tested were rather high.

National brands such as Dole, Earthbound Farm Organic and Fresh Express along with regional and store brands had at least one package with high levels of total coliforms or enterococcus.

The Food and Drug Administration needs to set stronger safety standards for fresh produce. Consumer's Union is supporting a Senate Bill that would require them to do that. It's called the Food Safety Modernization Act, Senate Bill 510.

You can find the full article here: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/march/recalls-and-safety-alerts/bagged-salad/

They suggested purchasing packaged greens as far as possible from their use-by date because they had less contamination. They also suggested washing the greens even if they say triple-washed, but their comments say that washing will remove extra dirt and not bacteria.

I've done a little research and found that Truth or Fiction reported, "Research published by the Journal of Food and Science in 2003 showed effective results of using hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate apples and melons that were infected with strains of E.coli."

Some websites I've researched recommended 1/4 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide added to a sink of water while cleaning greens, fruit and vegetables. I haven't found anything official yet as to the correct amount to use, but I'll keep researching. So for now I'll use the 1/4 cup until I find anything that says differently.

Dr. Fuhrman's Eat For Health interview

Making juice with the vitamix

Want to make juice, but don't have a juicer.   Here's your answer to fresh, delicious juice using your vitamix with Raw Foodist, Rene Oswald.

That's my darling minpin, Bandit.  He's so spoiled . . .  and . . .  hyper . . .  and . . . he rules the house.

Our kids and grandkids live in another state, so we choose  to lavish all of our love and attention on this little guy who gives so much love back to us.  He brings us a lot of joy and happiness and fills the void that's there from not having our family living close by.

I've got some recipes I've been wanting to share with you, but this past month I've been voluntarily helping my husband at his work.

He's a manager for a heavy equipment rental store and his counter girl had surgery the beginning of February. I've been filling in for her and will be until she returns.

With the economy like it is, they aren't hiring anyone to fill her position so it's either my dh goes nuts trying to juggle everything that needs doing, or I go in and help out. I decided I wanted to help him as much as I possibly can. He's already on overload as it is.

I've been going in around noon and staying for three to four hours. For many, this would be an easy task. But I've got fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis so it's been a little difficult this past month, with pain, weakness and lack of energy.

I've over-indulged in some off plan foods. Just tonight I had too much cashew butter. I'm thinking I'll need to throw it out. I hate to do that though because it's expensive, but I don't want the temptation around either. When I first began E2L, I even froze the stuff thinking that would prevent me from spooning the sweet, yummy, creamy butter into my mouth. It didn't work so I threw it out. I've been doing fine having it around the past six months or so, but not lately.

I've also been struggling with diet coke. You'd think I'd have kicked it by now. But it still comes around to haunt me and I cave in. I kicked it once, I know I can do it again.

I think I justify drinking it because I'm tired all the time and think I need a caffeine kick. I think it's also become a comfort food. I enjoy the taste and it makes me feel better. Water just doesn't do the same thing.

I hope this doesn't sound like I'm complaining. I'm not. I think I'm just unloading my frustration with myself, so that I can readjust my thinking and head in the right direction again.

I came up with another chili recipe. And I made cornbread to go with it and it's a vegan recipe from Susan's website. I'll try to post it tomorrow.

I tried a black-bean burger which I liked, but dh didn't so I'm on the look out for a bean or veggie burger he'll like. The black-bean burger had great flavor to me, but for dh, it was soft and moist and that's not what he likes as a burger substitute. So I'm looking for a texture that's more dry and even crusty on the outside if that's possible.

If any of you know of a recipe like that, I'd appreciate recommendations. There have been some recommendations from fellow nutritarians at the member's website. So I'll start with those and keep trying until my quest is accomplished. I'm determined and I'm sure there's an alternative burger out there somewhere that will meet the requirements I'm looking for.

So hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with  a recipe or two.  Eat to live y'all!