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Sunday, January 4, 2015

Nutritarian Tubetti Rigati Corn Pasta Marinara



So today I am going to commit what must be a blogger crime: a posting fly by! Yes, my friends, I am about to rush out of the house, but my lunch ended up so amazing and comforting, I just knew I had to share it even if my post is a bit vague. You can jive with that, right? I mean, in my kitchen, I cook mostly with my eyes, sense of smell, and lastly, taste. I don't measure. I just throw stuff wildly together (imagining tomatoes and garlic airborn hehe) and pray that it's edible. And most of the time, lucky me, it is! 



Today was one of those. Enter, the pasta craving. I don't care how long anyone has been a Nutritarian, every now and then, we miss the fun factor of eating pasta! Little bites of childhood memories fill my mind, splotches of spaghetti sauce on the table, crinkled napkins, the smell of sweet and salty sauces and meats wafting through the kitchen into the living areas of the house, beckoning the family together by their noses! hehe Good memories. It's just fun! So, today with my limited time and a bag of 100% corn pasta at the ready, I set out to make a fast food meal, nutritarian style!



So, the sauce. It had to have a creamy mouthfeel without oil, substantial flavor without salt, and fresh ingredients. Not easy to pull off, you might think. Not so! My trick today came thanks to our Excalibur Dehydrator and the last season of veggies from the garden and from our local organic farm share!




I've had mason jars filled to the brim with dehydrated tomatoes of all kinds from the ridiculous avalanche of tomatoes this fall. I also had copious amounts of homemade dried red peppers, dried dill, and dried mushrooms.




This got me thinking, why not just fill the vitamix with a bunch of these, mainly tomato, add some homemade garlic powder, onion powder (in a hurry, remember?) coriander, sage, oregano (lots) chipotle pepper, smoked paprika, fresh basil and a healthy splash of balsamic vinegar, some hot water from my water dispenser and vitamix the heck out of it? So I did!



It was AWESOME! The dehydrated veggies really added a ton of flavor and creaminess I did not expect to have without adding any nuts or seeds to my recipe. The pasta was cooked in a jiffy, add some sauce and.....





VOILA! Om nom nom. Good eats on the fly! I'll be back later to add a proper recipe to the best of my ability, but really, what I hope to do here at Blissful Nutritarian more than anything else, is to empower you to play with your food, and recapture all the joy in cooking healthy fare that won't kill you (another snicker) that you may have longed for when you made the switch. After all, we have ups and downs. What better way to have more ups than downs than to understand your ingredients, and not NEED recipes? It's food science! It's wonderful. It's delicious.

I'm out the door, Ciao!

Jemosielle

AS PROMISED, BACK LATER! See BELOW for the "recipe" the way I threw it together:




Jemoiselle's Nutritarian Tubetti Rigati Corn Pasta Marinara
Serves 1-2

All Approximated Ingredients
Sauce:
1-2c dehydrated tomato slices (cherry and heirloom)
1/2c dehydrated red yellow and green bell peppers
1/4c dehydrated mushrooms (optional)
1-2c very hot water (mine was 160ºF)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (no added sugar)
1 tsp dehydrated dill 
2-3 leaves fresh basil
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried rubbed sage
1/2 tsp garlic powder (ours was homemade, oh my gosh you must try that!)
1/8 tsp chipotle pepper powder
1/8 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
                     
Pasta:
1/2 pkg of Tubetti Rigati 100% Corn Pasta

Let's make some pasta!
For the sauce, Vitamix all ingredients except pasta until extremely smooth. Adjust with water for thickness desired, if necessary. Taste, adjust for spices. Faint because it's amazing! Set aside. 

For the pasta: Boil water in a small sauce pan and add pasta, cooking for approximately 8 minutes until al dente. Plate and top with sauce, and garnish with a fresh basil leaf or two if you like!

Enjoy!


















Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Hot! Hot! Hot: Hot Chocolate! (FREE of dairy, salt, oil and added sugar!)

            
Hello My Friends!

Anyone who has seen the holiday movie The Polar Express knows what I was thinking when I wrote my title for today's post! Oh yeah. It's that hot chocolate song scene on the train that's delicious enough to make every adult in the room want to sneak away to go make some hot cocoa, stat! Well, over the years I've experimented with nutritarian hot cocoa recipes here and there but never found one that absolutely knocked my socks off, and didn't have a too-thick or gritty texture, so I set off to make my own and now that I'm happy with it, I'd like   to share it with you! 

There is no guilt in a properly made hot cocoa positively overflowing with rich fudgey, fluffy vanilla-y goodness! At least there shouldn't be! Cocoa is loaded with antioxidants and phytochemicals that make it a-ok in my book to use in nutritarian recipes. I'm actually a nutritarian rebel of sorts, because I prefer the dark cocoa variety, that has been dutched, or processed with alkali, while Dr. Fuhrman advocates the use of Natural Cocoa, no dutch, no dice. What is alkali and what does it do? Heck, I don't know. Perhaps I should. Oh well! The way I figure, I live 100% nutritarian, all of the time.  I'm not going to fuss for now. I'm sure the natural version is healthier, but it just doesn't give me the flavor I'm looking for, and this keeps me off of swiss miss (gag) and blissfully happy 100% nutritarian ALL of the time, so for now, I'll just have to be a rebel. That ok with you? :) Good. If you want, feel free to use the natural version. But be warned, the results while good, aren't what I'm drinking! And I am one happy camper!

"The secret to being a blissful nutritarian is learning to make food into memories, and memories into food, and making sure neither intends to kill you!" ~Jemoiselle

hehehe That's the ticket. Moving on!

So, this method requires some prep work. Yay, eh? We basically need two major components: a diluted date puree and a homemade nut milk. My favorites are cashew (super creamy, doesn't really need strained) almond (classic, affordable) and my ultimate fav, raw macadamia milk (super buttery but $$!) so choose one and let's get this show on the road!



To make homemade nut milk, you only need four things.

1. Nuts, raw and unsalted
2. A nut-milk bag (for straining)
3. A powerful blender (vitamix, blendtec?)
4. A large bowl

Nutritarian cooking is easy! It doesn't have to be all fussy. Being exact is not necessary, besides, it is good to know your ingredients! How do you think I came to create recipes? Mistakes! Experiments! Never measuring! What does thick almond milk taste like? How about thin? Which do you prefer? How will you know unless you just jump right in? With that said, a good basic recipe follows:



Jemoiselle's Easy Homemade Raw Nut Milk

1/2c raw nuts
5c water

Directions: Puree nuts and water in a high powered blender.  Strain out the "meat" by pouring the smooth pureed liquid into a nut-milk bag, and squeezing it out into a large bowl. Pour into a refrigerator friendly pouring vessel, and enjoy. Done.

See? That was easy. Too thin for your preference? Add more nuts next time (or this time, but being flexible is great!) or is it too thick? Add more water. I'm almost certain this consistency will not be too thick for anyone. It's comparable to 1% milk, in my opinion. We use it to add TEXTURE to drinks, but usually, I do not make drinks made entirely with nut milks. Texture is the secret. A little bit goes a long way!

The nut milks also add visual interest. They brighten up an otherwise dark drink. They can be frothed in a milk frother and that froth can be piled high like a mountain and sprinkled with so many delicious variations of spice, like cinnamon, cocoa or pumpkin pie spice! It gives the illusion and appearance of richness, like a guilt free whipped cream or marshmallows on whatever we choose to use it with. It's versatile. It feels naughty. It's not. I love it!

So, the next component we need is a date puree. I make this in large batches too, and use it to sweeten anything from lattes to hot cocoa to sweet potatoes in a flash. It's rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, tastes great, and lasts nicely in the fridge. Here's how we make it. Again, you need to learn the "science" of the ingredients! Adjust it to your preference if it's not sweet enough, and vice versa.



Date Puree

1lb Dates, pitted (preferably medjool, but any will do!)
Hot Water (fill the entire vitamix or blender carafe up)

Place dates in blender. Fill blender nearly all the way up with hot water. Allow the dates to soak in the hot water for a few minutes. Blend until velvety smooth. Place into pourable refrigerator vessel and enjoy.

Now, we've got the date puree for sweetening all sorts of things using all the fiber in the dates (no guilt there!) and we've got the nut milk we'll use as our creamy component. Let's make some hot cocoa!



Jemoiselle's Nutritarian Hot Cocoa - 12 oz mug

1 slightly heaping teaspoon dutch dark cocoa powder
1/4c date puree (more or less to taste)
1/4c nut milk
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1/2c hot water (or to fill your mug)

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Variation: Dip a toothpick in pure peppermint oil, and swirl in completed mug of cocoa!

Mayan Hot Cocoa Variation: Sprinkle the top with a bit of cinnamon and/or spices like clove and nutmeg!

Here's how we roll. Take that cocoa, put it in the mug. Pour in the date puree. Add the hot water, stir until smooth. In a frother, (I use Nespresso's Aeroccino and LOVE it!) froth up about 1/4c of that nut milk with the vanilla until steamy and fluffy! Add to mug, gently mounding the foam on top. Dust with a bit of extra cocoa or cinnamon. Enjoy!

Don't forget to come back and tell me how you liked it!







Thursday, December 4, 2014

Seasons Eatings: My Nutritarian Pumpkin Pie Recipe for YOU! (FREE FROM: Gluten, Added Sugar, Salt or Added Oil)



My Dearest Readers,

For many years now I have been working on my nutritarian crusts and cookies. Before I went all fruity (snicker) I used to be a huge foodie, cake baker, bread maker and pastry queen. LOL, let it be no secret, the holidays used to be my worst nemesis in the battle of healthy living! Battle no more, because for the last couple years I have absolutely blown my own mind with how BLISSFUL the holidays can be when you leave the junk behind and kick the cheat day habit to the curb where it belongs!



Holidays are for celebrating, and what better way than with food that is happy for you to eat it? Food that blesses us with a promise, that it will do it's very best to make sure we make it until the next holiday AND MANY MORE, to cherish and absolutely immerse one's self in the love and blessings that only true friends, family, and good health can bring! Am I right? When we celebrate, shouldn't we do so with food and such that doesn't threaten our ability to enjoy life with the ones we cherish most? So, Santa's cookies in this house are made from my own recipe for Nutritarian Gingerbread!




My Thanksgiving menu follows suit with Nutritarian versions of Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole, Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy, Steamed Veggies, Hot Cocoa and the best of all, my soon to be famous Pumpkin Pie with Nutritarian Whipped Cream topping! Nom!



With that attitude in mind, for the last couple of years my holidays have been incredible. I've found that when you leave the old behind, you automatically have this wide horizon on your hands just ripe with potential for developing new incredible recipes and traditions to replace the old with!  This year, I hit the ultimate gold mine with my Pumpkin Pie. I can honestly say that for me, it could not get any better. Impossible. It is melt in your mouth, can't-believe-it's-not-bad-for-me PERFECTION!



Now, as a holiday gift, I want to share my method with all of you to create the ultimate Thanksgiving or Holiday Pumpkin Pie! This pie was so good, it was the first thing I thought about for a few days after Thanksgiving. LOL! I looked forward to it so much, and couldn't believe how spot on it was for what some would call "The real thing." To me, this is every bit as delicious as the real thing, right down to the flaky just-the-right-amount-of-chew could fool a SAD eater crust. Oh the crust. Swoon! How I love thee!



So, this year, I was fortunate enough to have gotten my hands on a beautiful batch of raw macadamia nuts from Hawaii with a taste so buttery, so clean and rich at the same time, they have ruined me for other macs to be quite honest! They were the inspiration here, don't get cheap and substitute anything less than raw unroasted unsalted macs. I bake without measures quite often, since every single day for me is lived 100% Nutritarian, and it would be way too time consuming for me to write down the measures of each and every thing I eat. I eat a ton! So, this recipe has to be made carefully, with some love. Ok? Let's begin!



Jemoiselle's Blissfully Decadent Nutritarian Pumpkin Pie
I don't measure, these are my best estimates. Taste as you go, guys! Next time I make this, now that I know how incredible it turned out, I will write down exact weights and get it straight. This is very much a "for now" from what I remember, recipe!

Pie Filling:

1 can Pure Pumpkin Puree (next year it will be fresh, but this year had to be an exception.)
1c Pitted Medjool Dates (or, more or less to taste. Doesn't need much. I could have used less)
1/2 Package of Extra Firm Tofu (no salt or oil added, as pure as you can find)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4-1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice, to taste (I use spice islands brand blend)

Crust:

1-1.5c Raw Unsalted Macadamia
1-2c Oats (Gluten free oats)
1-2 tsp ground chia seeds (a great binder)
1/4-1/2 c water
1/4-1/2c Medjool Dates
              (I also like using homemade date syrup. Dates soaked in hot water, then pureed)
Optional: 1 drop butter flavored extract (propylene glycol base with a synthetic butter flavor)

Whipped Cream Topping:
1c (or more) Raw Unsalted Macadamia
1/2-1c Medjool Dates
1/2-1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 drop Almond Extract
Water, if too thick.
Optional: 1 drop butter flavored extract. I don't remember if I used this in the topping too! (same as above, found in cake supply stores)

Instructions

For the filling: Puree the filling ingredients in a high powered blender (I use a Vitamix and cannot live without it) and taste to get the sweetness and spices just right. It will set up nicely in the fridge, but don't let it get thin. It needs to be the consistency of a very thick, smooth pudding.

For the crust: Using a food processor, make the macs into mac butter, then add the dates, ground chia, extracts and alternate oats and water to get the consistency just right. You are going to press this into a pie plate, so pinch it between your fingers as you adjust. When it sticks together, it's ready.

For the topping: Blend all ingredients in a vitamix until light and fluffy, the consistency of soft cool whip. Taste test for sweetness balance and adjust as necessary.

Bake that pie: Press the crust into a pie dish. It should be thick, about 1/4 inch. Press it up the sides and bottom all around until it's even. Fill with pumpkin filling and bake approximately 30 minutes at 350 degrees F (180C) just until the crust looks slightly light browned and the filling looks more firm. My pie filling developed cracks in the surface, which I will be working on in the months/years to come. It doesn't affect the taste, no worries!

Allow pie to cool then chill in the fridge. To serve simply slice with a sharp knife and top with a dollop of Nutritarian Whipped Cream. Enjoy! Keep in mind, I tried my best to remember how I made it for this post. If something goes awry with yours don't get discouraged! Just don't be afraid to change things up until it's the way you like it. If in doubt, drop by and ask me a question and perhaps we can troubleshoot it together.

It is my sincere hope that this recipe/method brings you so much joy this season that you don't miss the old type one tiny little bit, and that that realization might open your eyes to the possibilities of living 100% Nutritarian, even in the Holiday Season! I've never been happier. <3



Happy Holidays Everyone!

Jemosielle












Friday, September 19, 2014

On the road post: Self Love... (And an invitation)






Hello Lovelies! Jemoiselle here...writing from the road! Helloooo!

You know, I'm always blown away with the sheer depth of joy that can be found within life's simplest moments in the life of a Nutritarian me. I think this is a beautiful and profound thing, so I hope that you don't mind if I ramble on a bit about a rather dear topic: loving yourself. 

Before Nutritarian life was the only way for me, for years, decades even, I felt incomplete. Like something was wrong with me because I didn't look like the people on TV. Some words, Inadequate, hopeless, depressed, short changed metabolism wise. Nothing I did worked. Many times as a teenager I actually tried to simply stop eating until I (hypothetically) had become the ideal size. The modern diet simply would not allow me to achieve the visual representation of glowing good health that I coveted in the appearances of certain others. It was so hard, so emotionally draining as I would ride a low, resolve to change somehow, only to watch my resolve melt away like it were made of nothing but down feathers floating in a hurricane. Not pretty.

Enter, tonight. I'm going somewhere I promise. So I'm at a mall, having a beautiful night with my family. Today, I ate out with them, I had a big plate of steamed plain baked potatoes with lots of black pepper. It was divine! I consider that treat food, as potatoes aren't super nutrient dense compared to my usual fare. When we eat out I make do! Its been so long since I've tasted the food most people eat I simply don't desire it, and ordering what I do is no form of sacrifice but rather quite an indulgence. Anyhow, I digress.

So in the mall, as often happens in families with small children, we had a mad dash to the bathroom. So I accompany my little one to the room I used to dread (read: mirrors everywhere!) and headed in with an extra bounce in my step. I'm not gonna lie, I love mirrors! I was actually excited to see myself! Call it vanity, I call it well deserved self-love. 

It gives me a warm fuzzy to look in the mirror and be utterly pleased with my appearance. It soothes my soul to leave behind the days of utter dread that would strike my heart and start up that all-too-familiar heart sinking feeling that came with knowing disappointment (even just a few seconds worth) was inevitably ahead, whether conscious or subconscious, a part of my old life every time I passed a mirror. Can you imagine the pain of clothes shopping? I avoided it! How sad it was. 

That existence of indulgence that promised pleasure but delivered only pain ate me up, a real soul crusher. It makes such beautiful sense to eat foods that actually want to be eaten and love me back as much as I love them! My food nurtures my soul, feeds my spirit, liberates my heart and sets my mind ablaze with a passion I've seldom experienced at this intensity! Oh the love I feel when I see myself now! To know I eat all I want, anytime I want, I am always satisfied and never stuffed, and all that, to be blessed to look like this! Finally, the love and joy I feel everyday on the inside has manifested on the outside. Complete contentment, self-adoration, gratitude for just being me. Weird eh? Quite the contrast.

 It's not vanity, it's the real blessing and reality of life available to EVERY human being on this planet, who embraces God's provision, the generous and symbiotic manna from Heaven, that which grows like magic from the Earth from next to nothing, into a plentiful harvest that not only fills us up but heals us, and caresses us molding our bodies and minds into the most beautiful and peaceful contented versions of ourselves as is humanly possible! It's simply marvelous to me, and tonight, I'm just so overwhelmed with the gratitude I feel for finding it.

Which part of my writing here represents where you are in life, in health and love? If you are still caught in the cruel cycle of infliction that is the Standard American Diet or Western Diet, and you truly don't want to be; if you are ready for a life changer, if you're sick and tired of this junk that addicts you and hurts you, I want to help you. Please, if you are truly ready to leave the old life of pleasure for pain behind, use the contact form on the right, and I'll help you through it. If it's your time for change, I want you to have it. 

It is my true desire that everybody who wishes for freedom from food addiction and heart breaking body image issues be provided the way. I can't do it for you, but I can share how I get through challenging events, and answer specific questions here on the blog that pertain to your challenges. Lord knows I've been through it all! I've travelled internationally, had birthdays, learned a new way to have a truly blissful holiday season and more. It's been 5 1/2 years of Nutritarian learning for me. I'm ready to share it!

Tell me, my dear readers, what do you want to know? I want to be more active here, so let's do this! I'm listening guys!

In love and health,
Jemoiselle

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Yes, I went there: FAUX-BEEF JERKY (...Oh my gosh, help me!)

My dear readers,

It's been a while since I've come at you with something truly magnificent! Tonight, before I head up to bed, I simply MUST share a new discovery with you. We're talking a discovery so fresh, I am still eating my first batch with stars in my eyes as I type! In fact, it is rather hard to type and eat at the same time. *giggle* I just can't help it, it's soo good! I am so freaking excited to share this recipe!

So, most of us have ended up vegan after at least a few years under our belts as meat eaters, am I right? And while I certainly don't miss eating meat per se after all this time, I do miss the intense flavor beef jerky had. Heck, who am I kidding? I don't eat salt! While I certainly don't long for that terrible feeling of overeating that inevitably salt encourages, or the puffiness and exhaustion that results, I *used* to enjoy salt. A lot. (Guilty face!) As a salt-free, oil-free, added sugar-free nutritarian, nothing I have come across has reminded me of beef jerky, not that I've been looking. I use a lot of garlic, spices, vinegar and even table-tasty seasoning (from Benson's Gourmet) to replicate the full flavor of something salted in savory applications, but most days salty food just isn't on my mind.

It's just one of those things I didn't feel a need to attempt to replicate when there are so many other awesome things to eat and play with! While it's easy to make cookies, cakes, bars and crackers that remind me of old foods, jerky simply never crossed my mind. In fact, I don't really make a lot of "old world" mock foods these days. The beauty and simplicity in my cherished whole foods is just too tantalizing to bother attempting to "improve." Why mess with perfection, right? Most days this is the norm for me, but tonight was different.

Folks, this new discovery was all just a big mistake! A freak dehydrator incident. A way to preserve a surplus of fresh food I couldn't consume fast enough, consisting of many different veggies that tonight, as fate would have it, included some celery stalks cut up into long sticks that dehydrated into tiny little sticks. I intended to grind them up with the other veggies to make another one of Hubby's mind blowing whole food seasoning powders, but tonight I just took a nibble out of curiosity.....

                                    .....and WHAM! Beef jerky flavor! What in the world?



Here's the recipe. It's stupid simple.

Jemoiselle's Mind Blowing Faux-Beef Jerkey

1. Get some organic celery (Psst! I won't tell anyone if you use regular, but try!)
2. Cut each stalk into thirds, and then cut third into three or four long sticks.
3. Place on dehydrator tray for two days at 95ºF. 

Dehydrate, and eat. Freak out. Do whatever you do. Share your results! 

For me, I swear, it even matched the meat texture! Almost made me kind of grossed out at first remembering how beef jerky actually felt in my mouth, the stretchy bits (shudder) that didn't quite get trimmed out. I am telling you, this stuff is the closest we will ever get to beef jerky this side of the farm! Next time, I will try making powder out of it and using it as a "one veggie" celery seasoning. Can you imagine that? Nom. Cows will sleep a little easier tonight I'm sure. *wink*

Have a great night everyone, lots of love!
Jemosielle

Monday, January 27, 2014

Faux Real! Mock PB Candy Pieces Mylkshake Magic...

Hello Everyone! 

How did you do during the infamously tempting Holiday Season? You know, that dreaded but wonderful time of the year where it seems that absolutely everyone is trying to torture/derail you with cookies and candies and fudge and everything that we try so hard to forget even exists? :) Well, I am proud to say for the first year ever, I made it through the season without a single crumb of cheat food! In fact, my last crumb was in August 2013 and I intend to keep it that way. (Update, still going strong Jan '15!) You know what, it felt GREAT! Marvelous even! We're talking Halloween, Thanksgiving, my birthday, my kiddos birthday, my Hubby's birthday, and most importantly Jesus's birthday, all without consuming (or serving) anything that causes us harm. I have so much I have neglected to blog about, perhaps that can be my resolution this year? Maybe? I have been dreaming of this accomplishment for years now, nearing 5 to be exact, and I've finally realized it. Finally, It's time to celebrate! Are you ready? But not with cheat food, oh no. Not even necessary. I have a special present to share with you...




Now before I became a Nutri (my way of saying Nutritarian!) one of my major weaknesses was Reese's Pieces. Well, who am I kidding, Reese's anything. By the bag full! After making the transition to this lifestyle and really embracing it, I found that even when I had cheats and ate some of those old favorites, they just didn't taste the same anymore. Needless to say, eventually I stopped eating them! My past love affair with junk however, is what has inspired this post, so hang with me and I'll explain! 

So, it started the other day. My little one, homeschooled and also a Nutri, having recently received a neat vintage cook book from Grandma for Christmas, wanted to make one of them as an experiment. It was published in 1980 and was a really neat gift, containing both healthy nutritarian-esque recipes, and umm, not so healthy recipes. Raw egg milkshake for kids anyone? LOL The recipe he picked out was in need of some modification for our lifestyle, and what I am about to share with you is the result of said experiment. I wasn't expecting this to be even remotely edible since I don't usually make smoothies or "mylkshakes" with these ingredients, but hey, he really insisted, so we forged ahead. 

The recipe in the book was originally (before I nutrified it!) supposed to taste like banana and peanut butter, so imagine my surprise when I changed some things here and there, took a cautious sip and tasted something oddly familiar and comforting all at once…it took a few sips to pin point what I was tasting, but eventually it came to me. Reece's Pieces! Say what? Another sip later and I was hooked. This is pure magic! Alchemy! How is this recipe not already circulating the boards of pinterest? How are we NOT freaking out!? Let’s change that, shall we?

So, without further ado, I present to you with much love and compliments especially from my 6 year old whom without his inspiration and insistence this recipe would not have come to life, a completely dairy-free, no unnatural sugars (it uses honey) salt and gluten free, guilt free mylkshake that tastes so good you’ll swear it’s bad, but it’s not! I present, a healthy mylkshake (this is no smoothie, folks!) that actually tastes and looks like a real milkshake, tastes to me, exactly like Reese’s Pieces, but is as harmless as a fluffy feather lazily drifting about in the wind. Enjoy with great pleasure, and to your health! Clearly, this is not something we are going to eat every day, right (ahem!) but when you want something truly special, I hope you'll give this one a try! 

In Love and celebration,
Jemoiselle



Faux-Real Reese's Pieces Mylkshake
Serves 2-4

2c Homemade Cashew Milk (Vitamix 1c raw unsalted cashews to 2c filtered water)
1/3c Natural 100% Peanut Butter (No salt, sugar or oil please, only peanuts)
2 Tbsp Raw Honey, or to taste.
1/2 Large Speckled Banana, PERFECTLY ripe (Don't be tempted to add more banana!)
1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract (Check those labels, no added sugar please!)
Ice cubes, Approx 4 cups (or to your texture preference)

FOR THE CASHEW MILK
In a Vitamix Blender or other insanely high powered blender, make that cashew milk. My cashew milk is a whole milk, no straining or filtering. Blend until rich and creamy, store in the fridge for a week max. Adjust amount of cashews for your preference, more or less. 

FOR THE FAUX-MYLKSHAKE
In a vitamix, add all ingredients except the ice. Blend until smooth. Taste test for desired sweetness, then add ice one cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. I like mine SUPER thick! Your mileage may vary! :)






Monday, July 1, 2013

A Shout Out to Spinoza's in Beavercreek, Ohio!

Hello my friends!

I have something neat to share with you today! As some of you know my sweet wonderful Hubby is a meatatarian, and before I became a Nutritarian we loooved to eat out! We are what the world affectionately calls "foodies" through and through, and well, since my transformation our restaurant life has been...bleak...at best or on the flip side, extremely guilty! Amazed by local restauranteur and owner Glen of Spinoza's, whose skills and passion for fresh ingredients at his restaurant in Beavercreek, Ohio's Fairfield Mall sets the bar about as high as it gets for gourmet pizza and salads devoid of canned anything even offering whole wheat crust, I set out to ask him a huge favor: create something a nutritarian can eat! Glen's pizzas are some of the best around and I am not supposed to tell you how amazing they are (no, siree!) but what is a gal who is trying to be a good Nutri to do? I'll tell you what. Go hungry! And that is what I did, and it didn't take long of that routine for me to decide to bite the proverbial bullet and ask him if he would help out, and to my shock, not only did he oblige with a huge smile as he sat down to hear more about it, but he was really excited about it and even did some research about how we Nutri's go about our days, the focus of our dietary guidelines etc. Wow! Talk about above and beyond the call of duty!

The next time we went in, I was absolutely floored to find that he had purchased a special dutch oven just for nutritarian cooking, and had planned out and had on hand everything he needed to craft a beautiful dish of herbed steamed veggies and whole garlic cloves atop a bed of hydroponically grown romaine, leaves left intact (a gorgeous touch!) with a huge bowl of lime wedges. Unbelievable. The veggies were steamed to perfection, not too done, not too crisp. Chopped herbs flecked within the veggies and added visual interest, and I thought I detected a hint of white wine. There were puffy cauliflower pieces, tender yet crisp asparagus with lime, yellow squash and even whole steam roasted garlic cloves sprinkled here and there as smooth and silky as butter but without the guilt and heart ache (literally)!



 Even more incredible and much to my unknowing delight, he had gone to the trouble of creating a surprise nutritarian sorbet of ripe juicy sweet (but not a drop of sugar added!) dark black grapes, and it was obvious that great care was taken to get the temperature and presentation just right, as the sorbet was absolutely matte and traditionally textured, just as if it were real ice cream, it held it's shape and frozen temp while I savored each bite, yet, it was easy to spoon, not too firm at all, and to my great delight, each bite seemed to almost dissolve light as a cloud and effervesce on the tongue! How did he do that?! It was pure nutri-alchemy! The whole ordeal brought back an element of joy I was honestly missing very much in my pursuit of optimum health and fitness.


I couldn't believe he had gone to such lengths and with such beautiful enthusiasm, and I just had to share with you, dear readers, so that should any of you find yourselves in the Dayton Ohio area (Beavercreek Ohio, Fairfield Mall to be exact) you might like to pay him a visit yourself and delight in his culinary prowess! He said he has aspirations of making a nutritarian pizza in the future, can you imagine? Nom! Spinoza's can be found in the Fairfield Mall in Beavercreek Ohio in the Dayton area. Check them out over at yelp here! Or to find them via Google Maps go here!



2727 Fairfield Commons Blvd., Beavercreek, OH ‎



Glen, from the bottom of my heart, thank you dear friend! A priceless gift.

With Love For All,
Jemoiselle

Friday, December 21, 2012

'Tis The Season: Nutritarian Baked Apples!

Nom nom anyone?


Oh my goodness gracious how I have neglected this poor blog! Gah! Ok, this is going to be a quickie but I thought I should post this absolutely amazing treat we have been making this season with fresh local apples straight from the farm, using hand made (not by me haha) ceramic apple bakers from the same farm. This recipe is the epitome of easy. But it gets better! It is delicious, I think we have established that, but did I tell you it does double duty as the most amazing holiday air freshener in history? Ok, maybe I am making pretty big claims here, but it is incredible, and with that, here is the recipe. I could have sworn I already posted this! What on Earth happened? My blog got eaten!?

DS and I at the farm goofing off!

Exhibit A: Big Juicy Apples.


So, you take some big juicy apples. My favorite are Tango apples. They are so crisp! We're going to bake all that crisp right out of 'em, so I don't know why I still insist on using them when I could use something else and not feel like I am sacrificing their goodness but oh well! Sometimes we just make due with what we happen to have when the mood strikes! Onward. Take those apples, wash and core them, and put them in the apple baker, top side up. The apple baker has a ceramic rod that goes through the middle of the apple's core and bakes it from within as well as out, and a little moat to catch all the juices and reduce them into a delectable glaze. If you do it right, which means not getting impatient like I tend to, you will end up with an apple as smooth and velvety as butter! It's incredible! The skin transforms into something unbelievably beautiful and unappley, lol, and it just screams decadence! Don't tell your friends it's not! Or, perhaps just wait until they are done and begging for another. Nutritarian desserts can be delicious! I am finding the longer I am a Nutritarian the more I crave simple flavors. Clean. Classic. Unfussy.



So, take that apple. Stick it on the baker. Wait, I lied! Take it off *snickering* Add two tablespoons of water to the bottom moat, cinnamon to taste and 1/2 tsp or so of vanilla. Aww why not go for the hard stuff too and sprinkle on allspice, clove and nutmeg, too while you're at it! Spices make the nutritarian world go round!



Now put that apple back, and, hey why not add more cinnamon? I do! Spice it up baby!! Stuff some raisins in the little space at the top, and some chopped nuts if you so desire (I don't) and they are ready to go. Without covering, put onto a baking sheet, and into a 350F oven for about 1.5-2 hours or until the skin looks incredible, translucent and the apple is soft like butter. The house will smell divine (you're welcome!) and truly, I don't think there is a way to over cook these unless you don't add water, so just relax and get to it whenever you want. Sometimes, being a Mom gets in the way of my best laid plans and it sits another hour in there after I turn it off. Oh well! That's life, and it's still delicious! My Husband couldn't believe these were nutritarian. We each had one at dinner one night and trust me, plates were cleaned (and even licked).



If you don't want to serve it in a bowl or plated, they also look adorable sliced in neat wedges and drizzled with the glaze that ends up in the moat! Om Nom! PS I guess I didn't drizzle this pic with glaze. Ooops! Imagine it for me? Pretty please? Now I release you! Go and make baked apples tonight and delight that you too can have you cake and eat it too, truly, with the Nutritarian lifestyle.


Happy Holidays!

~Jemoiselle

Thursday, June 28, 2012

The Brain and Appetite Control

The Brain and Appetite Control: Can Satiety and Weight Loss Coexist?

I posted this in a Facebook group this morning, and then thought to myself "That is Blissful Nutritarian material if I've ever seen it!" and here I am! I know most of us who consider ourselves "Nutritarian" already enjoy the fruits of this explanation, but for those wondering why we do what we do, listen up! I'm about to divulge the big secret! It's easy to get to your ideal weight if you just give your body what it needs to manage your weight itself, like a good little critter! :D Yes, I just used a smiley face. This is MY blog! Deal with it! Nope, not a professional blogger, but if there were a profession for losing weight, I'd have the Ph.D! Weight used to be such a mystery to me, and now, it's just a matter of simple cause and effect. As easy and logical as going to bed on time to feel rested in the morning (yeah, right. It's 11:31pm right now. We all know how that goes!) but seriously, weight is not a mystery. It isn't even about calories. It's about getting out of your own stinking way and letting your body do it's thing without "micromanager you" sabotaging it's efforts!



I want to share something I learned via Eat to Live and my subsequent classes at Cornell University's "Plant Based Nutrition" Series (based on Dr. Campbell's work in The China Study) about our hunger drive and satiety trigger. 

Have you ever noticed how sometimes we can eat a bag full of <insert evil but deceptively delicious food here> and even though we're stuffed, feel the drive to keep eating or searching for more snacks until we feel awful? Why is it, that sometimes, it feels like no matter how much we eat we are never satisfied? A common answer to this question is boredom, emotional eating habits etc, addictive food (I agree) but today I propose we search deeper, to the very root of it all. Ready? 

It simply boils down to how the stomach works in tandem with the brain, and how our modern world gets in the way of our own body's ability to independently manage our weight for us. The stomach has stretch receptors (sensors) for bulk to determine how much we have eaten, in addition to micronutrient/phytonutrient receptors to determine the nutrients we've consumed and if they are adequate for our needs. These sensors send signals to the brain, which then sends signals to us asking for more food (simply speaking) or if needs are met, sending a message of satiation, a chemical release, a reward if you will for a job well done. 

If we eat a bunch of junk, our nutrient sensors detect the bulk has not met our nutrient needs, and ask us to find more food to fill the nutrient deficit. It is a rather unnatural phenomenon for the body when you get right down to it, as in the natural world where we would be eating whole foods ideally, bulk (fiber) and nutrients are rarely found without the other. This explains why we eat beyond our capacity and feel out of control, unsatisfied and over-stuffed, swearing we won't do it again. Of course, there are always the other factors at play as mentioned earlier (boredom, emotional response etc) but in the end, it all boils down to the foundation of what our body needs (we eat to survive) and what we put into it merely pointing us towards one of two paths: natural functioning (subconscious weight management like we see in the animal kingdom, ex. ever seen an obese Zebra on the Sahara?) and unnatural dysfunction induced by eating what amounts to synthetic food.

When we make certain to provide our bodies with an adequate abundance of fresh whole foods, I don't care if you're a vegan or a meat eater alike, your body will be more capable of taking good care of itself. Further, eating primarily whole foods grants you the gift of living without having to worry about maintaining a certain weight (equivalent to your consumption of whole foods, mind you) or  having to suffer through dieting (calorie restriction, atkins, blood type, you name it) etc. Hey, we all need food, and we all need FRESH, real food. It's so easy. No matter what plan you fancy though, even if it is restriction or protein shakes (that's another talk, just keeping the peace, I do NOT advocate synthetic food!!) I think we can all agree, we could all use more fresh produce, fruits, nuts and seeds in our lives! As you can see, it will only further to help you achieve your ultimate goal of being healthy, happy, and free to worry about more exciting things like where to bike today, instead of which pants don't make you look fat :D Because let's face it, biking looks way hotter in spandex that fit! hehehehehe

FOOD FOR THOUGHT! Hope you've enjoyed, have a great day everyone! 

~Jemoiselle

REFERENCES: 
1. Eat to Live, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, pages 26-27 Nutrients and Caloric Drive. 
2. International Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders 17 (7): 409-16; Blundell, J.E., and J.C. Halford 1994. Regulation of Nutrient Supply: The brain and appetite control. (one of Dr. Fuhrman's references from the above pages in Eat to Live)

Monday, April 30, 2012

Food For Thought: The Big Dilemma


Let's get real, shall we?

Quite often, one thing holds me back mentally as I enjoy this lifestyle (and great health) for my third year. That is, being a prior "foodie" who thought life was dull without the bounty of samplings from different cultures, cuisines, culinary artistry, etc being "experienced" throughout one's life, I always wonder if someday I will regret my decision. Not that I think I will now, but I am not so naive that I think I know what I will think about someday, as my life is coming to an end, and I reflect upon it and realize that special feeling that so many of their death beds do about what made life memorable, rich. In the past, I have had thoughts (more like nightmares) about awakening in Heaven, and finding myself asked by an angel engaged in conversation, what food I enjoyed the most, reminiscing about all the delicacies and experiences of life. I imagined myself stuttering, unable to spit it out, that I had shunned all the culinary pleasures life had to offer for fear of "getting fat" or (gasp) dying of cancer or otherwise, just dying. Clinging to life, forsaking life itself for the sake of being alive. You might say "But Jemoiselle, I don't equate life to food, life is about living, running, jumping, laughing!" To that I would say you haven't lived in the head of a foodie, my friend. Correct, in that yes, there are great joys to be had other than eating, but some of us really do have a passion for food, look at the greatest chefs and sugar artists in the world with a passion for what they do that makes them famous for all time? Julia Childs? People who dedicate their lives to enjoying fine wines, and trying to taste all of them! LOL Try telling them to give up their passion and learn to love the outdoors instead! It is in their blood! Much, much, MUCH easier said than done. So what do I do, but attempt to do exactly that. Not that I am any Julia, but I made beautiful cakes. I made chocolates, all kinds of breads, and I aspired to master them before my time was up. When I gave all that up, basically, my entire world of passion, I had to seriously analyze what I was doing and figure out what made my decision the right one for me, one I could live with should I get run over by a car tomorrow and die young anyways, having just skipped that donut that beckoned to me a few minutes earlier, because I was afraid of dying fat or diseased LOL. 

I really don't take anything lightly, do I? Nope. This morning, something came to me. It came out of nowhere, but stopped me dead in my tracks this morning and just made sense. It finally answered my question, once and for all. Of course, if you aren't a person of faith, this might mean very little to you. But for me, it was my much needed answer to that pesky knat of regret that every now and then buzzes around my psyche refusing to just go away already! Are you ready? Here it is:

Would God want me to enjoy a food or beverage that brings me temporary pleasure but slowly kills me? Would the temporary pleasure in experiencing it be enough for God to say "Do it! Gamble! Life is too short NOT to enjoy the finest life has to offer!" Does God condone gambling on anything, especially our own health and life? Would He say life is too short to NOT gamble on our health for the sake of drug induced pleasures, or would He encourage us to rather seek meaningful pleasure in life or yourself if you feel the need for more richness? Is our pursuit of gustatory pleasure for a gourmet life somehow subconsciously an attempt to make up for a lack of real substance in our daily interactions with each other? A symptom of something missing? Does the food, much like booze to an alcoholic, merely patch up our pain until our next fix? 

Now, I realize I cannot speak for God. I also realize not everyone feels they answer to Him, and thus, will not understand the significance of this and it will go right over their heads. That is fine! This was meant specifically for me, all I am doing is sharing it. If it doesn't pertain to you, no biggie. Each of us is different, what causes one to stumble might be perceived as healthy to another. I am not trying to convince anyone to change their belief systems nor sway those not interested in a whole food plant based lifestyle to change. I am hoping that someone else out there, someone like me, will find this, find it makes sense for them and finally have their answer to the pesky "quality of life" dilemma once and for all, too. In the beginning of the Nutritarian journey, most people are focused on weight loss. The thing is, this lifestyle is so effective for that, that soon your motivation for weight loss will vanish, as you will be at your ideal weight and will have the body you always dreamed of having. What then? Once you are that elusive size 2, healthy and just maintaining, your motivations WILL shift and have to evolve with you. Unless you can surround yourself in others like you, you will have to find a way to cement yourself into your position, and remind yourself of it constantly. That is me. I live in a foreign country, nobody eats like I do, not even my Husband, temptation and people who think I am insane and extreme are everywhere I look. I am not fooled though. I use these times to strengthen my resolve, a nutritarian metamorphosis of sorts, where I reaffirm and evolve. 

I am going to adapt a phrase commonly used by financial guru Dave Ramsey to suit the Nutritarian lifestyle:
"If you want to live like no one else later, you have to live like no one else today!" Where "nobody else" is the general overweight and addicted/diseased population, and where living like nobody else means not eating what they eat, making the sacrifices necessary to become free of addictive foods, substances and drugs! You have to experience the whole package to know what it means to be addiction free. If you don't think S.A.D food is addictive, you clearly have not given it up yet.

That's all for now,
Jemoiselle