Your Words

October 14, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. We’ve all heard it, we all try to believe it, but if we’re really honest with ourselves, we know it isn’t true. Words can hurt. Once you say something, it’s out there forever and you can’t take it back no matter how hard you try. You can try to let words bounce off of you and pretend that they have no effect, but after awhile they can start to wear away at you. Your strong exterior starts to crack and hurtful words seems to slip right through those chinks in your armor. For some, it might feel like the sticks and stones would be better than the words. We can’t control what other people will say about or to us, but we do have the power to control our own words.

Today’s post isn’t a lecture about watching your words and being careful what you say. I want you to think about the words and things you say about yourself. When we talk about words, it’s often in regards to what you’re saying about those around you. We don’t spend much time thinking about the words we use to describe ourselves. We don’t think about the things that we say to ourselves day in and day out and we really don’t think about the consequences of those words. Take a moment, what are the words you use about yourself?

Lazy. Self-conscious. Nonathletic. Over-eater. No willpower. Failure. Those were words that I often used in the lowest moments to describe myself. I was always negative and had a hard time seeing any positive when it felt like I had failed for the millionth time. High school was a rough time for me self image wise and in my quest to try and be like everyone else I constantly put myself down. I was my own worst enemy because by using all those negative words I was only hurting myself. How could I succeed when I couldn’t even talk well about myself? While my self-esteem got better as I got older, I would still find myself talking negatively to myself. If I felt tired during a workout, it was because I was being lazy and unmotivated. If I ate something I deemed bad, it was because I had no willpower. I failed to see all the good things that I was doing. Sure, I could fake being proud of myself sometimes but there was always something I could be doing better at and I zeroed in on the negative. I had trained my brain to only talk trash about my body.

Sound familiar? Like I said, words can hurt, especially the words we say to ourselves. With each jab and insult we say to ourselves, we’re only hindering our progress. Maybe you believe that you need to be tough on yourself or else you won’t see any results. I fully believe that there are times that we need to push ourselves but it should never be at the sake of talking smack. You wouldn’t call your best friends a loser for missing a workout, why in the world would you use that same word for yourself? Words are powerful and we need to start using them to our advantage. If you call yourself strong, you have a much better chance of feeling stronger and getting stronger. If you call yourself motivated, you can bet you are going to feel more motivated.

The words that come out of your mouth can either pick you up or bring you down. Stop beating yourself up with your words, it’s unacceptable. We all have flaws and more often than not we are very aware of what those flaws are. There is no need to constantly voice your problems to yourself over and over again because it will get you no where. You will just feel worse than before and are more likely to give up. If you can’t even talk nice to yourself, what’s the point. You deserve to be talked highly of and you are worthy of good words. Will you always be perfect and feel worthy of those words? No, but it’s in those times of struggle that you need those uplifting words the most. Today, start letting positive words enter your vocabulary. Use your powerful words to make yourself better and to keep moving you forward. Be your biggest cheerleader and watch how your outlook and life can change.

Date and Almond Sauce

October 10, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I have been testing out a few new recipes for another project that I’m working on (details later), which means that I have 3 batches of different healthy frostings sitting around my kitchen. This has been a good thing for Adam because he gets to eat and try all the things that I have been testing, but I still haven’t totally nailed down what I am looking for. Don’t worry I’m close, and along the way I have made a really great sauce that can be used for a multitude of things. I don’t usually post sweet recipes here, but I want to make sure I have a good variety for whatever culinary mood you’re in. And yes, there is sour cream in this recipe. Trust me on this one. After the recipe, I’ll give you some ways to use this tasty sauce!

Date and Almond Sauce

6 large Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
2 tsp molasses
1 tbsp sour cream*
1 tbsp smooth almond butter

* I use a dairy-free, homemade version of sour cream but you can use whatever you normally have on hand. You can also use greek yogurt if you would prefer.

1. Soak the pitted and chopped dates in warm water for about 15 minutes. Drain the water, reserving a few tablespoons. Add the dates and the rest of the ingredients to a food processor or blender. Process until you have a smooth sauce, adding some of the reserved water to reach the consistency you want.

You can use this sauce right away, but I like it a little better after it has been in the fridge for a few hours. You can use this sauce in oatmeal, smoothies, ice cream, yogurt, spread on bread, muffins, cookies, or if you’re totally wild you can just eat it with a spoon. Get creative and see what else this sauce tastes delicious on! I hope you have a great Friday and an awesome weekend!

How To Stock Your Kitchen

October 8, 2014 / ktbuchs87

For some of you, eating healthier is a whole new ball game. You’ve never done it before and now you’re wondering what to buy at the grocery store and what to keep on hand in your kitchen. You were used to shopping and eating one way and now that needs to change. You can’t continue buying junk food and expect to lose weight or be healthy. But what do you buy? What are things that “healthy” people fill their pantries and fridges with? I am going to share four simple things that I always keep around and are easy to incorporate into meals for healthy dishes.

Fruits and Vegetables

Let’s just start with the obvious one and get it out of the way. Yes, I always have fruits and vegetables in my kitchen. For the most part I buy what’s in season because it’s cheaper and tastes better, but I also buy carrots, bananas, frozen vegetables, and potatoes year round. If you want to eat better, start adding more of these foods into your meals. Your mother was right, eat your vegetables because they’re good for you!

Grains and Beans

At the moment I have a variety of beans, including chickpeas, pinto, black-eyed peas, and split peas, on my shelf. I also have two kinds of oatmeal, millet, quinoa, brown rice, pasta, popcorn, and polenta. All of these are great add ins to many meals as well as a food foundation to top with sauces, vegetables, meat, and more. Most of the grains that I keep on hand are very easy and quick to cook so they can be made for a tasty week night meal. I like the taste and texture of dried beans better than canned, but they do take longer to prepare because you have to soak them to cook them. If you don’t have the time to do that, there are plenty of good brands of canned beans. Just make sure to read the ingredient list and rinse them well before you use them. The other reason that I like having a plethora of beans and grains on hand is that they are cheap. I buy all of these things from the bulk bins at Whole Foods and most are less than $2 a pound. If you don’t have a store with a bulk section these foods are still cheap. You can get a one pound bag of lentils or brown rice for .99 cents! That is some good and cheap eats.

Canned Goods

I always have at least one can of tomato paste, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes on my pantry shelf. These can be used for stews, soups, sauces, toppings for meatloaf, salsa, or anything else that you can think of for tomatoes. I buy the no sodium added kind and make sure that there is nothing but tomatoes on the ingredient list. These are also pretty cheap because I buy the store brand at Jewel. One other canned good that I usually have on hand is full fat coconut milk and pumpkin. Again these can be used in so many dishes, from sweet to savory and can be found for fairly cheap prices if you look around.

Herbs and Spices

I have a huge herb and spice collection and it is bound to get bigger. I love making my own blends, like taco seasoning, and trying out new flavors in dishes. Herbs and spices are a very important part of my cooking because they help take food to the next level. Many people complain that healthy food is bland and boring, but it doesn’t have to be if you have a handful of spices around. Try classics like oregano and basil, or branch out with spices like curry or garam masala or berbere or harissa. Experiment with different flavors and find ones that you like the best and kick up your meals a notch. I’m fortunate to live in Chicago near The Spice House and buy most of my seasonings there, but Whole Foods sells theirs in bulk as well and many grocery stores have a large and good selection. As with any food though make sure you read the labels because some companies add in chemicals to keep the spices from clumping in transit.

There you have it. Four staples of the Dawson household. I use these things on a daily basis to create healthy meals and they are a good starting point for stocking a healthy kitchen. Of course I have more than just this food in my house, but I would say that most meals that I make are based on or incorporate these foods. Don’t feel overwhelmed if you are just starting out. Build your healthy kitchen slowly and find things that you enjoy and will use regularly. There is no wrong way to create your own healthy stock of food!

Healthy Or Happy

October 6, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I have noticed that there is a popular sentiment that arises when people talk about being healthier: “I would be healthier, but I would rather be happy.” They might not necessarily say that exact phrase, but it’s close. I would eat better, but I don’t want to be miserable. I would work out more, but I don’t want to hate life. I would take care of myself, but I have other things going on. For some reason, there seems to be a disconnect between being healthy and being happy.

This idea pervades the health world all the time. Diets are associated with denying yourself what you really want to eat, what would make you happy, and eating foods that are boring and tasteless albeit good for you. Exercise is tied in with punishing yourself for eating poorly or torturing yourself to make your body look good. In order to be the best you health-wise, you have to deprive yourself of happiness.

Leaders of the health realm play into this idea, to some extent. How many times have you heard a new fad diet claim that you can still eat the foods you love and lose weight, somehow implying that food that is good for you is food that you don’t love? How many new fitness trends focus on the no pain no gain motto? Or advertise that their workouts are really intense, but if you only devote yourself to twenty minutes of torture you can look like a fitness model? I know that not every diet or fitness trend out there does this, but I feel that on some level they still make the association that being healthy takes a little bit of being miserable.

This is so far from the truth, and it is one of the obstacles that stand in the way when people think about being healthier. No person wants to give up being happy or submit themselves to deprivation and torture to be in a better state of health. For awhile, I thought that if I wasn’t denying myself some type of happiness when it came to my health, I wasn’t really getting healthier. If I didn’t feel totally worn out after a workout or say no to an extra helping, I wasn’t doing it right. Inevitably I would give up on my diet and working out because I didn’t like feeling miserable. Sound familiar?

I want to help perpetuate the idea that healthy and happy go hand in hand. Eating well doesn’t have to be a battle of temptation. You can find food that is delicious AND good for you. You might have to experiment a little to find out what you like and you might have to let your tastes adjust to less processed food, but you can eat good for you food and still feel the joy of eating good food. Exercising doesn’t have to be a tool of torture. There are so many ways to work your body that I am sure you can find something that you enjoy doing. Again, you will have to try different things and see what you like the best and what your body can handle, but you can find pleasure in working out regularly. Instead of viewing being healthier as something that is going to take happiness away from your life, view it as a way to add your happiness. You’re taking steps to add years and energy to your life, you’re taking control of your health, and you’re taking pride in yourself. These are all healthy things that can make you happy.

Carrot Fennel Soup

October 3, 2014 / ktbuchs87

With the weather getting chillier, I start craving warm and hearty meals. I also break out my trusty slow cooker to make those warm and hearty meals. Soup is a great fall meal and is is really simple to make. I would love to say that this recipe was meticulously thought out and planned and prepared, but…. I pretty much found what I had in my fridge/pantry, put it in my slow cooker, and hoped for the best. And I got super lucky, because this was an awesome meal and will be made again! Plus it makes a lot of leftovers so you can start freezing a few batches and building up your freezer stock.

Carrot Fennel Soup

1 pound of carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 bulb of fresh fennel, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 stalks celery, washed and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 in. knob of fresh ginger, minced
5 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water, extra if needed
3 tsp dill
salt and pepper

1. Heat a little olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and saute the carrots and celery. Once they have a little brown on them put them in the slow cooker. In the same pan, saute the onion, fennel, ginger, and garlic. Once the onion is soft and translucent add to the slow cooker.

2. Pour the vegetable broth over the vegetables and add enough water to cover all the vegetables. Add in the dill and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until you have a smooth puree. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can puree your soup in a blender in batches.

The fennel in this soup is surprising and delicious addition. You should be able to find fresh fennel at most grocery stores, I found mine at Trader Joes. Enjoy this soup on it’s own, topped with sour cream, or with a nice slice of bread. Happy October!