The Decision to Invest The Time (or Not)

Posted on May 18, 2014

Remember that wistful Willie Nelson ballad of regret, ‘Always On My Mind’? It’s an aching ode to sadness over gestures of TLC that could have been made but weren’t:

…”Little things I could have said and done…I just never took the time…” 

What I think Willie means is, in retrospect he realizes it’s not just time that’s required to keep a relationship solid, it’s effort.

One of the top five excuses I hear people sing like an aria when discussing the idea of eating clean in order to drop weight and/or just feel healthier: Cooking and food prep take time.

Well, yeah. There’s just no way around that truism. And I’m not minimizing the reality of most people’s busy lives. But if you’re resistant to food prep, it’s crucial to think about what you’re getting in return. A few off the cuff benefits I’ve received from the process:

 

* More Money – You’ll have extra cash instantaneously if you cut back on restaurants and take-out. And I personally would rather funnel the extra dough into a massage 🙂

* Quality control – Cleaner ingredients, including condiments and cooking oils (lousy ones can ruin the health factor of a dish or dessert)

* Fabulous leftovers – Rarely do I cook to make just enough for that meal. I love squirreling the leftovers into the freezer or refrigerator and viola – a healthy frozen dinner for when I’m seriously pressed for time or just don’t want to cook.

* Ingesting food made with Love <3 Any holistic healer will tell you how important the energy and intention from the preparer is. It’s a direct transfer and there’s no way around it. Who’s going to put more TLC into your Turkey Meatballs and Pasta? You, or an overworked, probably cranky short-order cook in a noisy and chaotic commercial kitchen? Ever notice how vastly different the experience is of eating a fast food burger vs. a burger at a family cook-out on the grill? It’s not just the grade of beef, baby, it’s the LOVE!

 

I’m not suggesting you have to cook from scratch every night of the week – unless that’s your thing. But at least shoot for four out of seven. Some families make it a Saturday or Sunday event, spending 2-3 hours assembly-lining the crafting of soups and casseroles for the week.

Believe me, I feel your pain with the time crunch. I feel it and have it pretty easy: Chef Bill and a low-maintenance 18-year-old. Some days, though, I resent that I have to stop, drop, and prepare. But it does help that I actually enjoy the process of creating my own meals. I realized, as I made a batch of black bean soup last week, that cooking and all that goes with it is my favorite form of meditation.

I’ve tried the sitting-still variety and vastly prefer this method: of focusing intently while I chop, stir, peel, and coddle. My mind is still. I think of nothing else but the temperature of the water, the texture of the lentils, or how much more garlic is required until it’s officially glorious. If you really dislike cooking, try looking at it as a meditation. And if that doesn’t work, approach it as the ultimate character-builder: undergoing a task you despise and seeing it through anyway. If we all did only the things we like and nothing else, a lot of the important stuff wouldn’t get done, would it?

Much like that the fact that a body requires regular movement and physical challenges for optimal health, it also requires quality food. If you’re wealthy and can hire a personal chef, then you’re free to retire to the splendor of your meditation room and Om out till dinner’s ready. But for the rest of us, better health demands the simple (but sometimes difficult) act of surrendering to what is. Fighting it just keeps you stuck.

I decided long ago it was a futile and destructive thing to be bitter about the time it takes to stay healthy. I didn’t want my life to be a look-back filled with regret over things I could have done to make me and my loved ones healthy and happy. My health issues are very minor compared to some, and I want to keep it that way. Ask anyone in a life-threatening battle for their health if they’d roll up their sleeves at the chopping board if it meant the eradication of cancer, Parkinson’s, or heart disease. I know how blessed I am that my ‘battle’ is to keep the weight off and my spirit nurtured. So how could I feel anything other than happy about cooking?

 

 

 

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Clean Cream of Mushroom

Posted on May 16, 2014

Last night Chef Bill realized there was a package of Baby Bella mushrooms in the refrigerator just waiting for a purpose.  Knowing I love soup, he got out the Vita-Mix plus a few necessary ingredients and got to work. 30 minutes later I was tasting the most sublime ‘cream’ of mushroom soup of my life. Velvety smooth thanks to the Vita-Mix (our new toy that we never get tired of playing with), loaded with flavor, and just a hint of creaminess, and not in a heavy-handed way, a la cow cream. The photo does not do this sublime soup justice. ‘Sigh.’  You’ll just have to make a batch to see what I mean.  Enjoy!

 

Clean Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 pound mushrooms, preferable baby bella’s or cremini

3 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1/8th teaspoon white pepper

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ cup unsalted butter or olive oil

1 tablespoon truffle oil (optional)

4 ounces mild, whipped chevre at room temperature (goat cheese)

 

Note: You’ll need a food processor or Vita-Mix to make this

 

Cut mushrooms in half and saute in butter or olive oil on medium heat in a large sauce pan or wok for about 10 minutes, until slightly brown. Add thyme and a cup of the beef stock to the pan and simmer on very low for about 15 minutes (the stock should be lightly bubbling). Add remainder of stock after 15 minutes. Bring to a boil and shut heat off. Transfer to a Vita-Mix and blend until smooth, about a minute. Add back to stock pot or wok and whisk in chevre until smooth. If mixture is too thick, incrementally thin with additional stock until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle with truffle oil and serve.

This is fantastic plain, but it also lends itself to the addition of rice, soup pasta, or chunks of leftover steak or roast. Last night I ate mine with pieces of leftover Filet Mignon – So superb the combination. Bon Appetit!

Creamy texture - Clean flavor!

Creamy texture – Clean flavor!

 

 

 

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DDP Radio Tonight

Posted on May 14, 2014

DDP IS FED UP!
TONIGHT HE RETURNS IN A VERY INFORMATIVE DDP RADIO 9 p.m. EST, WEDNESDAY May 14 DDPRadio.com or 347-994-1216

Tonight, Robert, Mike, and Stacey will welcome DDP himself…and look out – he just saw the food industry documentary “Fed Up,” and DDP is outraged and in a fire-breathing fury! “I was amazed and horrified by what I saw in that documentary and I want EVERYONE, especially Team DDPYOGA members to see it,” he said. “I knew refined sugar was unhealthy, but I had no idea the extent to which it’s in just about EVERYTHING! The sugar lobby is a very powerful one, but we need to arm ourselves with knowledge and take back our health. Sugar is aging, addictive, and just as aggravating as gluten when it comes to inflammation in the body.”

Mike Mullins will be talking about the news of his 10-day-sugar-free-challenge and what Day One was like for him. And Stacey will share some of her sugar-free recipes from her newly released cookbook, “Clean Comfort – An Adventure in Food, Courage, and Healing: How I Went from 345 lbs. to a Size 8 Without Losing My Sanity.”

DDP will also be talking about this year’s DDP Double Diamond Retreat Extravaganza, which again takes place at the opulent oceanside paradise known as The El Dorado Royale Resort & Spa on Mexico’s gorgeous Riviera Maya. But don’t just take Sally’s word for how stunning the resort is, check out episodes 17-19 of this seasons “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” when the gang goes on a couples’ getaway to the El Dorado Royale. You’ll see plenty of footage of the gorgeous beaches, casita pools with swim-up bars, fabulous restaurants, and luxurious spa, which is second to none. For shots of the resort, visit http://www.somewhereluxurious.com/real-housewives-atlanta-mexico/2456. For more information on the retreat, visit http://www.thetravelsmiths.com/promo.php?id=148 .

And always, tonight’s show is also dedicated to YOU! Whatever challenges you’re facing right now, the good news is, you’ve got a GREAT network of support! Staying connected via Team DDP YOGA, our Facebook networks, and DDP Radio is a great way to feel the camaraderie and stay positive. We’ll be taking your questions tonight, so call or check into the chat room and be a part of it. DDP created the show as a forum for sharing questions, concerns, and triumphs that are part of the path to better health.

It’s a journey that never ends, which is why a supportive community is a crucial part of the process. Call in with a question for DDP, Mike, Robert, or Stacey. You can also e-mail questions in advance to StaceyMorris345@yahoo.com, or send one in during the show in the chat room at DDP Radio. Time doesn’t always allow for every question to be answered but we sure try our best.

To listen to past shows, check out the archive at DDP Radio.
For more information, visit www.ddpyoga.com.
To listen to the show, visit DDP Radio or call (347) 994-1216.
Visit TEAM DDP Yoga at: http://www.teamddpyoga.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

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It’s Bean A Great Morning

Posted on May 10, 2014

….because once again, I just said no to refined sugar. I’m so accustomed to it that now it’s simply routine. But this morning, when I popped into my favorite place for coffee, the point was driven home. Is their any doubt that Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee rocks? I’m absolutely in love with their Turbo Shots (their version of espresso ) But as a Recovering American, I’ve gotta say no to the donuts, bagels, and sandwiches made with towering pillows of brioche. The gluten and the sugar just don’t work for me anymore. And it’s springtime, which means Dunkin’ helpfully upped the temptation ante by offering trays of pastel-pink frosted donuts which I must admit…had me in a momentary trance.

But here’s what does work for me nowadays: baking healthy treats at home and bringing ’em on the road. That way I can have my espresso and crumpets and eat ’em too. WITHOUT chipping away at my health, going up a size, or bouncing my bloodsugar into the stratosphere.

The raw materials

The raw materials

Case in point: my newest favorite snack: Almond-Coconut Cake. So simple. So healthy. So perfect with coffee or tea.

Here’s what it takes:

Blend the following until smooth in a food processor

A can of garbanzos, drained

2 Tbs. coconut oil

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. Stevia or 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Almond milk as needed during mixing so batter doesn’t look like wet cement

For post-baking: 2 Tbs. coconut oil and a handful of slivered almonds

Bake at 350 in a round cake pan for 30 minutes. When it’s done and still warm, slather with 2 Tbs. coconut oil (it’ll melt into the cake) and sprinkle some slivered almonds for a gorgeously healthy topping.

Pure, Clean Bliss

Pure, Clean Bliss

It’s nothing short of Clean Magic! Hope you enjoy.

PS – Have I mentioned how profoundly grateful I am for electricity? It’s days like this when I truly am on bended knee for all it does for me!

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The Art of the Soft-Boiled Yolk

Posted on May 5, 2014

Know what I love more than brownies or ice cream? SOFT-BOILED EGGS! They hypnotize me with their creamy simplicity and sate my hunger beautifully. It’s one of my favorite ways to start, or end the day. Eggs are the perfect light dinner paired with cauliflower hash, gluten-free toast, or better yet – risotto!

The trouble with this soft-boiled egg love affair is it was never properly consummated until recently. What I mean is, I couldn’t get the yolks right and it was driving me BATTY! Too hard or too soft was my egg-boiling purgatory. Quite frankly, I’d resigned myself to being in that undesirable realm forever, until the April issue of Saveur magazine divulged the formula, and here it is, fellow soft-egg lovers:

Place four room temperature eggs in 8 cups of water (or two eggs in four cups of water) and bring to a gentle boil. Cook gently uncovered for 6 minutes then plunge into an ice water bath for 30-45 seconds and proceed to peel. As Saveur promised, this yields firm, meaty whites that encase yolks that are just creamy enough and not runny.

I can’t tell you how elated I am to finally nail this. All it took was me putting a little faith in the timer. It’s farmers market season now and the perfect time to round up some local eggs. Give the soft boiled method a shot and let me know how it goes! Here’s a photo of one of my masterpieces, paired with sauteed fennel – Divine!

The right amount of creamy

The right amount of creamy

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