Popcorn is Cheap, Easy and Healthy

January 11th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Healthy Snack Attack - (9 Comments)

(You had me at cheap and easy.)

Popcorn is #20 on the list of 44 Healthy Foods Under $1.  Whenever I say “Does anybody want popcorn?”, applause and cheers erupt from my crowd of kids.  I usually take that as a yes, and I often join in with the applause and cheering too because it’s so easy to make.

We get to call popcorn healthy because it’s a source of fiber and polyphenols – a type of antioxidant that is linked to cancer prevention.  This article from Science Daily says high dietary intake of polyphenols are are associated with longevity.  (Yay!  Live long and eat popcorn!)  This article agrees but also says the benefits of popcorn are often oversold.  Read more...

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The Swiss Chard Challenge

March 17th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Vegetable Lovin' - (6 Comments)

If the month March is about eating leafy green vegetables every day, and we’re now more than half way through the month – I guess it’s about time I stretch my wings a bit and eat some greens besides the ones I always eat.

Spinach, kale, lettuce. There are other leafy greens you know, lady.

Yeah, I know. Like Swiss chard.

Swiss Chard

Man that is one big and scary looking green leaf.  The leaves were really thick and sort of leathery.  And those blood red veins running through the middle of it? Creepy.  Read more...

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Dear Ali: How Can We Make Real Butter More Spreadable?

February 20th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dear Ali - (23 Comments)

A very good friend of mine left a question on Facebook last week about butter and if there was some way to make it more spreadable.

Dear Ali,

I have started using “real” butter because someone has opened my eyes to the benefits of it.

(and really, I didn’t need much pushing. Here, eat this creamy tastiness! OK!)

Any tips on how to make it more spreadable? I know some people leave it out on a butter plate thing, but since it’s just me and my man, we don’t use that much butter and seems like it would go bad before we used it all.  Read more...

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A Little Link Love: Productivity, A Healthier Gut and Kobe Bryant

January 31st, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Morning Craziness - (1 Comments)

I have a confession.

The kitchen is not always clean before we go to bed at night.

This has been especially true this week with a husband who was laid up with a man cold. I’m picking on him a little, but we really are a team when it comes to keeping this house clean.  His sick time was evident based on state of the house for a number of days here, I fell way behind on the house work.

Now that we are outnumbered in our parents:kids ratio, our former man-to-man combat plan has become more of a “zone defense” over these past 7 months.  Read more...

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Cauliflower (Not Mac) and Cheese

January 23rd, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Vegetable Lovin' - (14 Comments)

Cauliflower is not one of those vegetables I get really giddy about.

I mean, I like cauliflower and all – but you won’t see me running to the produce section while shouting and hip-hip-hooray-ing with my arms flailing above my head like a wild woman when I see that cauliflower is on sale.

I’m probably more likely to say “oh, cauliflower is on sale this week? that’s cool.”

This recipe makes me slightly more giddy about cauliflower than usual though. Cauliflower Mac and Cheese? I didn’t invent this idea, but I did think “I’d eat that” when the idea was presented to me. My next thought was “I need to make that.”  Read more...

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Lunch Lately

January 10th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Lunch - (8 Comments)

Today I’m here with a couple of my recent lunch time regulars.

Some days I eat lunch all by myself. When the big kids are at an afternoon class and the baby is napping, I get to eat late lunch in peace and quiet with just myself and maybe a literary friend too. I’m re-reading (/ skimming) The Primal Blueprint – I’m finding it more relevant now that I’m eating meat again.

Turkey Burger Lunch

A turkey burger with provolone on top of greens, shredded carrot and celery tossed in olive oil and balsamic. I am now one of those people who eats their burger without a bun. Some of the time, anyway.  Read more...

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New Groceries

January 8th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Healthy Habits - (12 Comments)

I rarely buy books. I much prefer to spend my money on late fees at the library. I did buy Deep Nutrition because it’s not in our library system and b.) I need more than 3 weeks to get through most books these days. (I can read Goodnight Moon in about 3 minutes flat though. Just saying.)

When I bought Deep Nutrition, I also bought The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth because hello, free supersaver shipping! And b.) I get this dorky smile on my face whenever I read the myriad of awesome things that good foods can do for our bodies.  Read more...

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