Manly Plants

Is Your Food Manly?

  

It seems silly to classify your food in some sort of gender-specific terms (though if it once walked, moo'd, or had a mom and dad, it actually did have a gender).  But why do we think of some foods as "manly" and others as "lady food?"  You know, that image of a large man holding a drumstick tearing into it with his teeth...or that Stepford wife daintily holding her cucumber sandwich while sipping tea.  

So, the college football season is upon us starting this Thursday. Growing up, college football (specifically the Fighting Irish football team) was like a religion.  Though I grew to become equally passionate about the game along with my 3 older brothers and ND grad Dad, my favorite part about Saturdays was the food!  

Gameday food (usually an all-day affair) included BBQ, Nana's baked beans, Mom's potatoes, and endless bowls of chips and dip.  There's just something about this menu that brings back memories of family feasts and yelling at the TV. If I'm confessing my sins (as the Irish Catholic would). I don't want to give up my gameday fare.  

Hats off to our chefs who created a great "Gameday Menu." Now we don't have to choose!  Take these meals tailgating - whether outside the stadium or in the comfort of your own HDTV'd home.  And as to whether or not an organic whole foods, plant-based diet is manly or not, I'll let Tony answer that (see below).

  

In 2007, former Chiefs tight-end, Tony Gonzalez switched to a plant-based diet after finding out about The China Study.  Though not 100% vegan, he considers his change in diet a major contributor to feeling better, recovering faster, gaining endurance and having more energy and focus.  Why not try it...What could you lose?

Healthy Heart

What Would You Do if You Knew a Fool Proof Way to Prevent a Heart Attack?

Make Yourself Heart Attack Proof

We're not doctors or dietitians, but we know what it's like to try to make a change.  Does knowledge change behavior?  Most of the time - no.  The single factor found to determine successful long-term change is MOTIVATION. If someone offered you $1 million to eat a whole foods, plant-based diet, would you? Or what if someone kidnapped your kids and told you they wouldn't be returned until you stopped those bad habits and engaged in a wholly healthy lifestyle? How long would it take you to get started?  

Believe me, we get it.  This stuff is not easy.  Our hope is that we can help you on whatever part of your journey you'reon.  

School Lunch

Back to School...lunches

  

You ask us a lot about recommendations to put in your kid's school lunch...a healthy, quick, and easy alternative to the hot (mess) lunch at the cafeteria.  Of course, we think our meals make GREAT lunches ~ for school or work!  Pair our enchiladas with Blue Corn Tortilla chips or scoop some of our Mexican Seitan into a tortilla or pita pocket.  Lunch boxes today have slots, compartments, and their own dipping containers...not like the standard metal lunch boxes we had or these brown paper bags. 

My favorite part of opening my lunch was the note my mom left in it to 'Have a great day!'  That lady made PB&J taste awesome with the love that went into my 3 brothers and my school lunches.  What goes into your food?  Love and nourishment or obligation and resentment?  At Conveniently Natural, we take pride in the care, dedication and positive energy that goes into our food.  We know that we are playing a small role in your healing, wellness, and contribution to our community.  

Fat Pants

You know what I'm talking about...

  

...those pants you take on a vacation to wear home or the ones tucked in the way back of the drawer for those times that you "overcelebrated."  I recently joined a local running group and during my first run, someone asked what I was training for.  Many in the group are training to compete in marathons, triathlons, and other races.  Though I wanted to blurt out, "To zip up my pants," the question got me thinking...

A year ago, a friend and I challenged ourselves to make the Triple Chocolate Fat Pants cake from the Babycakes NYC Bakery cookbook.  Who could resist a recipe like that?  Finally...an (appropriate) occasion to wear my fat pants. 

How To Make $100 Cake

1. Purchase $24 cookbook with Triple Chocolate Fat Pants Cake recipe (two-layer chocolate cake topped with vanilla frosting and layered with chocolate chip cookie crumbles.

 

2.  Make grocery list of all 32 ingredients that comprise this 3 part recipe (frosting, cake, and cookies) and split shopping with baking partner.

 

3.  Turn on Finding Nemo for 3 children and put baby to sleep in bassinet.

 

4.  Start recipe with frosting mix since it requires 6 hours of chilling before use.  Replace first two ingredients with substitution (due to food allergies that prevent use of soy) and document.  Use mixer on unmelted coconut oil and document that oil should be melted next time.  Refrigerate.

 

5.  Review cookie recipe and divide recipe between partners - one assigned wet ingredients, one assigned dry.  When wet ingredient baker discovers that $11 jar of coconut oil that was purchased is not in kitchen or left in grocery bag, make dairy and soy free butter substitution.  When said baker discovers the end of vanilla extract bottle, decide to substitute with combination of butter and peppermint extract.  When dry ingredient baker admits that evaporated cane juice was nowhere to be found at the store, decide to substitute an eyeballed amount of brown rice syrup and agave nectar.

 

6.  Discontinue substitution documentation. 

 

7.  Finish remaining steps per instructions and bake.  Upon tasting, promptly throw away cookies and agree to purchase packaged gluten-free cookies for substitution.

 

8.  Begin cake recipe, substituting coconut oil and evaporated cane juice with aforementioned products.

 

9.  Feed children and baby.  Then find additional distractions for them to occupy themselves that involve being anywhere but the kitchen.

 

10.  Go look in trunk of car and discover lost grocery bag that has $11 jar of coconut oil.  Throw out cake batch in progress and decide to start over using melted coconut oil.

 

11.  Decide that children acting like monkeys are a  distraction and reconvene the next day after purchasing appropriate 

ingredients on grocery list.

 

12.  Make cake recipe as instructed.  Make cookie recipe with coconut oil.

 

13.  Layer cake with frosting and cookies.  Taste test and serve to children.

 

14.  Nearly go into diabetic coma after 3 bites.

 

15.  Add up grocery totals and decide that this is the best tasting cake ever made - half because of the name itself and half because you spent your entire week's grocery budget on one cake (made 2 1/2 times).

Power Plate

Does Your Plate Look Like This?

 

In 1991, the PCRM (Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine) developed the New Four Food Groups.  This zero cholesterol, low-fat plan supplies all of an average adult's daily nutritional requirements, including substantial amounts of fiber.  See below for recommended daily serving sizes. 

The Four New Food Groups

Fruit 3 or more servings a day Serving size: 1 medium piece of fresh fruit, 1/2 cup cooked fruit, 4 oz juice Vegetables 4 or more servings a day Serving size:  1 cup raw vegetables, 1/2 cup cooked vegetables Whole Grains 5 or more servings a day Serving size:  1/2 cup rice or other grain, 1 oz dry cereal, 1 slice bread Legumes 2 or more servings a day Serving size:  1/2 cup cooked beans, 4 oz tofu/tempeh, 8 oz soymilk

The Iron Nun

After a priest encouraged her to start running at age 48 to harmonize her body, mind, and soul, Sister Madonna Buder began running in races.  With her first marathon in her 50's, she became the oldest woman to compete in the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon at age 75.  All told, she has competed in over 340 triathlons and more than 40 Ironmans.

In her own words, "If we want to do it, we can. The only failure is not to try, because putting forth the effort is success in itself."

Tour de Veg

American Cyclist David Zabriskie Competing in the Tour de France on a Vegan Diet  

 

"I think a lot of people see food in terms of whether it's going to make them fat or make them skinny," he says. "I'm seeing food in terms of how it's going to make me think and will it give me clarity."  (Full story)