not just healthy

Sometimes what is "healthy" can be so infuriating. Protein is good for you. Protein is bad for you. Soy is good. Soy is bad. Green tea is good for you. Green tea is bad for you. Yes, even green tea! I've read it all, I swear, eventually leading me to think that we all need to live in bubbles because there is nothing left on this earth that won't harm us. What's wrong with green tea you ask? Green tea is quite full of fluoride by the way, which could be too much if you already drink water with fluoride in it, and can interfere with thyroid function.

The one food I have not yet found to be potentially harmful, in any way, is blueberries. And luck would have it, the local grocery store had bags of frozen Canadian organic blueberries mislabeled, and mistakenly priced too low, for two weeks in a row. Can you believe it? Yes, the freezer is absurdly full.

I've never understood a smoothie to be a "quick" breakfast. In the middle of winter, it takes a long time to gulp down something that is cold! Plus, it can take awhile to pull out multiple ingredients, and also get a lunch ready to take to work. A smoothie is a great idea if you still have time to sip it, say on a train ride, but not necessarily the time to sit at the table. Right now smoothies work for me because so far, Carter is the world's fastest breakfast eater there is. I need a breakfast I can continue to work on while simultaneously cleaning the table with a little ankle biter clinging to me singing, "Ma, Ma, Maaaa". Yea, it's cute, but you try eating breakfast!

I also try to eat a lot of "healthy" fats. How much is a lot? Well, I'm trying to eat 3-4 tablespoons of Udo's oil a day in my food, plus different nuts and seeds too. Like chia seeds, walnuts, and salba. In this smoothie I use hemp seed protein. It is unique because it contains a good swack of protein, omega 3's, and a bunch of other vitamins like magnesium and iron too. It's also super, super high in fiber. I'll admit, I'm not too keen on the taste, but the blueberries definitely help with that. I eat this magnificent breakfast almost everyday!


Beyond Blueberries Smoothie
(serves 1)

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 fresh or frozen banana
4 tbsp hemp seed protein powder
2 tbsp Udo's Omega 3-6-9 Oil
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 cups water

1. Add all the ingredients to the blender, with the water. Blend, stir, add water, repeat. Enjoy!
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lazy morning breakfast

Nearly every Saturday morning, I am completely useless. But today, I was wide awake at 7:30am. And while usually these mornings are dedicated to a bit of couch time and a workout - today we're taking our five year old niece shopping for Christmas presents! Jeff knows he can always get me moving if he makes me a cappuccino...in my favourite mug. I only have it once or twice a week, but I dream about it everyday... I love to shop with energy and panache. Otherwise, it just drags on forever; especially if it's not going well. So a blackberry smoothie was definitely in order. Blackberry Smoothie (serves 1) 3/4 cup frozen blackberries 1/2 cup frozen blueberries 1 defrosted, but formerly frozen banana 2 tbsp raw hempseed 1 tbsp Udo's flaxseed oil 1 packet stevia 1.5 cups water 1. Allow the banana to defrost enough to be able to take it out of the skin. 2. Blend all ingredients until the hempseeds are well blended. Add more water if necessary. Enjoy!
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cocoa-gingered apple & orange salad

It is amazing to believe that my Baba's generation rarely had the luxury of enjoying fresh fruit, when in her youthful glory. Certainly in the summer there were berries on the farm, but citrus fruit was only featured on a rare and special occasion. She remembers fresh mandarin oranges around Christmas time, and little else. Today we are spoiled rotten, with the wide-availability of fruits and vegetables available to meet our every whim and fancy. But yet, we are so accustomed to a varied selection of plump and juicy tomatoes, perfectly glossy apples, and seedless watermelons. Many times we take it for granted, moaning when produce is less than perfect, and not every variety of heirloom fig is available. So apples and oranges it is. Luxurious items 60 years ago, in the Canadian prairies, but today are commonplace market staples. But still we get bored. As a university student, I can count endless numbers of bags of apples and oranges I purchased, since they were relatively inexpensive, convenient, and healthful. I also consumed countless combinations of apple and orange salad. Red delicious apples, green apples, honey, no honey, mandarin oranges, navel oranges, fresh lemon, no lemon. Then recently, I discovered a nice batch of candied ginger. Jeff loves candied ginger, especially chocolate covered candied ginger. It's alright, but I think I prefer the ginger in smaller doses. It is however, especially nice when literally pulverized, and used to enhance other ingredients, like oranges and chocolate. Wanting to do something a little bit different for a late breakfast one Saturday morning, I decided it would be nice to include the candied ginger. Cocoa-gingered apple & orange salad For the topping: 3 tsp cocoa nibs 6 cubes candied ginger 1 tbsp sliced almonds 1 tbsp raw hempseed 1 apple and one navel orange, per person 1. Toast the almonds in a medium-high heat sauté pan. 2. Using a coffee grinder, combine the almonds, and other topping ingredients and crush. (lasts in the fridge up to one week). 3. Wash and chop fruit, and place into large bowls. Drizzle with lemon juice if not consuming immediately. 4. Sprinkle the cocoa-ginger topping evenly over the fruit. Enjoy!
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