Archive for December, 2009

Grilled Cheese PLEASE!

December 28, 2009 · Filed under kids, Quick Dinner Ideas, Veggies

Who didn’t grow up on grilled cheese?

Does this look familiar?

Grilled Cheese of the past!

So that sandwich above is white bread, fried in butter, LOADED with fat! IT tastes GREAT! But at 500 calories (high in fat and sugar) who eats that on a regular basis? You think of it as a treat for yourself, or easy kid food, right? NO MORE!

Even the grilled cheese can be CLEAN food, and healthified!!!

Green Apple & Cheese

So the first thing I used my new mandolin on was a grilled cheese with green apple sandwich! TO DIE FOR! I had tried this before but my apple slices were too chunky and thick, and tasted cold when I ate the sandwich. With the mandolin they were PAPER-THIN & Perfect!

My perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich:

  • Two slices grainy, nutty, high-fiber bread
  • Cover both slices with a yummy mustard of your choice
  • place thin apple slices on one side
  • place thin slices of your favorite cheese (low-fat or not, moderation is the key to cheese, a little goes a long way, it is being melted afterall)
  • place in pan coated with pam or olive oil
  • place a brick covered with tin-foil, or another heavy pan
  • flip, repeat, and serve!

For my kids I might add a bit more cheese, and a little less mustard! Get creative and use the grilled cheese as a place to fit in some veggies….cheese does amazing things and will allow you to add in some more fruit or veggies in an easy, quick way!

Try to choose a bread that has no sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and too many things you can not pronounce. ALWAYS find a bread that has 2 – 3 grams of fiber per 100 calories, a good rule of thumb. I don’t buy bread that has under 4 grams per slice. It is just such an easy way to get in 8 of the 25 grams we are suppose to have per day! If your family has always eaten white, highly processed bread start changing it out slowly. If you have little kids high-fiber bread is all they will ever know, just serve it, they won’t know any better and you are doing them a good deed that will last a lifetime!

Grilled Cheese with Herbs

Grilled Cheese & Pear

Tomato with Ham & Cheese

Grilled Cheese with Veggies

Grilled Cheese with Veggies

This last one pretty much looks like it has last nights salad on it, and you know what…what a great way to use left-over salad!!!

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Gadgets Galore!

December 27, 2009 · Filed under Products I can't live without · Tagged ,

Santa knew EXACTLY what this clean eater needed and he HOOKED me up!  Thanks Santa, you’re the best!

If you read this blog you know what a fan I am of the Nicer Dicer!  (BTW, this fabulous product is available from QVC in AWESOME colors now, around $40, and it also now has a third chopping size-COOL!  I paid $20 for the white one before it was a QVC favorite and you can still find it on ebay for $20 and under. Video demo of Nicer Dicer can be seen if you click above the product photo on the video tab, at QVC).

In looking for a few Nicer Dicers to give as gifts I discovered another fabulous product they make called the Genius Snap N Slice 5 Piece Food Wedger and Multi Slicer!  Umm, hello…how did I NOT KNOW about this?  So I asked and Santa delivered.  (ebay again, can get them for under $10, or around $20 on Amazon)

This is perfect for:  cucumber slices, mushroom slices, lemon wedges, strawberries, egg slices, radishes, beets, tomato wedges, zucchini’s so forth.  For me this is perfect for when a recipe calls for just a handful of wedges, slices, or chunks.  Not for heavy dicing.  Also perfect for throwing together a salad super-quickly that looks like you spent hours preparing as far as the dicing and prep goes!  Pretty!

I also come across recipes almost weekly that call for veggies to have been prepped via a mandolin.  Now I don’t care how much you might like to slice, there is really no way to get pieces all as thin an in uniform sizes (so they cook evenly) as a mandolin will.  The down-side of mandolin’s… they are another item to store, and they are not cheap (if you get a good one).  Well Santa brought me the Adjustable Kyocera slicer/mandolin with a ceramic blade (which means I do not need to replace it or swap it out) and come to find it is only $25!  I have used it twice (yes twice since yesterday) and I love it!  The slice size is easy to adjust and it is super simple, with cleanup being a snap!

Again, if you only want one thing to assist you in prep work, get the Nicer Dicer!

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Because “The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.”

December 24, 2009 · Filed under Recipes, Soups & Chilis · Tagged ,

Traditions tie us to memories of good times, good things, good experiences.  They also bind us to the generations that came before, and allow us to pass down those things we cherish to our children.  Traditions can be good.  This year I have come to conclude traditions can also be bad.  For me it has become a mission to REINVENT our Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve dinner, and Christmas Day (we eat all day long therefore no specific meal is being singled out).  For me special occasions have always been tied to delicious, but extremely fattening food.  Holidays, Birthdays, gatherings with good friends.  All excuses to eat food I would otherwise not eat, and lots of it. 

I am sure there are many who probably are thinking “She’s taking all the fun out of the Holidays (my Mom may be in this boat with you)”!  But actually I am not trying to remove the fun, I am trying to remove some of the fuel that can feed the fire so many of our bodies fight year-round now.  It struck me when I saw Dr. Oz talking about how the three days with the highest rate of heart attacks are Christmas Day, December 26th, and New Year’s Day, that my rethinking our meals during this time was perhaps not such a bad thing.  According to his discussion with fellow cardiologists and heart surgeons it only takes on fat-laden, artery clogging meal to trigger a heart-attack in someone with risk factors (which can simply be a “family history”).  The days mentioned are rarely one poor meal, but usually one followed by another, for two or three days in a row.

My goal for our family, and extended family, is NOT to remove all the casseroles, cheese dips, pies, cookies and cakes of the past…but to also provide some healthy options that people can opt for, if they wish too.  So far this has been pretty successful and most of the group has been open to changes like red-wine vinegar instead of the regular full-fat salad dressing, or roasted green beans with olive oil and sea-salt instead of a green bean casserole.  The egg casserole we have eaten for three generations has been revised to be enjoyed with less cheese, no bread, and low-fat sausage.  Hot buttered rum will now be mimosas…you catch my drift…not healthy, but BETTER.

The road-block I hit, and simply found myself unable to work with was the Christmas Day lunch of Generation’s Past!  Cube-Steak Sandwiches.  Yep, I think that my kids actually made this sandwich a 5th (or even 6th) generation tradition when they had a few bites last Christmas.  Steak.  Pan-fried.  Sourdough bread.  Mayo.  Fat, more fat, wrapped in a simple carbohydrate and lubricated with some more trans-fats.

So this year we will be enjoying a new Christmas Day Tradition.  I haven’t decided which one I will make yet, but we love both, and though neither are the optimal healthy meal, they are comprised of mostly healthy ingredients, and still speak to the comfort and warmth we all seek in a Holiday meal when we gather with family and friends.

Both of these recipes require ONE pot, not a lot of time, and will make your home smell fabulous, adding to the memory-building formula we all seek!

Tortilla Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil (could omit completely)
3 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp dried onion
1- 4 oz. can of chopped green chilis
1- 15 0z. can of beef broth
2- 15 oz. cans of chicken broth
2- 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1- 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 tsp each of ground cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper
1 Tbsp steak sauce
1 cup water
1 1/2-2 cups of shredded chicken

Toppings:
grated cheddar cheese
baked tortilla chips
fat free sour cream

In a large dutch oven, saute onion and garlic in oil. Add rest of the ingredients (except for toppings) and let simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. To serve, top with chips, grated cheese and sour cream.

One-Pan Cajun Jambalaya

2 tbsp butter (olive oil will work)
1 yellow onion, chopped (or red)
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped (I have used all colors)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
16    Ounces spicy smoked sausage, preferably Andouille, cut into ¼ inch slices
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 tbsp tabasco sauce
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 tbsp cajun seasoning

Directions

  1. Melt butter over medium high heat
  2. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and sausage and saute, stirring frequently until the vegetables are tender (about 7 mins)
  3. Add the rice, broth, Tabasco sauce, tomatoes and cajun seasoning
  4. Stir until well mixed and bring to a boil
  5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, 20 – 25 minutes

 

Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve.

Most of the fat in this will be from the sausage, so you can opt to not eat it, or cook with low-fat or turkey sausage. 

I like to add shrimp (already cooked and defrosted) and just toss them in right at the end, already warmed up.  Leftover chicken can also be added.

Also if serving children you may want to leave the Tabasco for ppl to add on their own, it is spicy!

 

And I want my family to be getting together for years to come!  Healthy and Happy!

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Easy Snack or Appetizer Anytime!

December 22, 2009 · Filed under Appetizers, kids, Snacks, Veggies · Tagged

The two foods we consume the most in our home are hummus and cucumbers.  I would say both are eaten most every day, and often together.  My husband taught the kids to use cucumber slices like chips to scoop up their hummus and they love it!  This little snack-bite is simple, easy, tastes great and can be made to look festive for the Holidays!  We put this out while preparing dinner, which lets us snack, without filling up before enjoying our meal!

  • 1 container of hummus
  • 1 English cucumber, sliced
  • 1/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, cut into small strips
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or some cilantro

    • Place humus onto cucumber slices, top with a roasted red pepper strip and garnish with cilantro or thyme. Serve immediately.

    *Another version of this snack is to sprinkle the hummus with lemon pepper instead of the roasted red-pepper strip.

    *Use a vegetable peeler or zester/scorer to take off strips of the cucumber to make a decorative edge. Or pull the tines of a fork down the outside length of the cucumber without peeling to make a decorative edge.

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    Dirty Birdy!

    December 15, 2009 · Filed under 411, Advice from the Experts, Beef

    Huge SHOUT OUT to Jen F. who texted me a heads up on the new Consumer Report Article just out on Chicken Safety.  I gotta say, the more I read, the more I relish my choice to eat less meat!  But listen, I still eat meat, and I know most of you do, so if we are going to eat meat and feed it to our kids let’s be active participants in the farm-to-table process, and let’s all remember that every dollar we spend on a specific BRAND of food is a vote for that Company to continue its practices…good, or not so good.

    I know a lot of you can not stomach the icky talk about what might be coming into our homes, so I will outline the basics of the article, and if you want the full 411 you can read it for yourself!

    Here is the 411 on their findings, and the full article can be read here, and will be on New Stands January 2010!

    What I Take Away From This Article, My Own 411

    • If I can stomach the prep, or just decided to COOK only whole chickens, buying air-chilled broilers is the safest way to go (WHOLE BIRD PEOPLE)
    • Store-brand organic chicken (from these findings) is more likely to keep my home free of Salmonella that non-organic chicken
    • If I have to buy mainstream, I will buy Perdue!
    • I will always use a meat thermometer and make sure my chicken is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit

    First A Few Definitions

    Campylobacter:    Odds are if you have had food poisoning you had Campylobacteriosis as it is the most common cause of diarrhea in the United States!!!  Defined it is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter. Most people who become ill with campylobacteriosis get diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever within two to five days after exposure to the organism.  More common in cases of “here and there” than associated with major outbreaks.

    Salmonella:  Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called Salmonella. Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment.  Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, including birds. Salmonella are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. 

    Some 411 On The Illnesses Associated With Chickens

    Each year, salmonella and campylobacter from chicken and other food sources infect 3.4 million Americans, send 25,500 to hospitals, and kill about 500, according to estimates by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  BUT the article goes on to tell us that these are reported cases, most of us don’t go to the hospital when we have food poisoning, we ride it out at home.

    What’s more, the CDC reports that in about 20 percent of salmonella cases and 55 percent of campylobacter cases, the bugs have proved resistant to at least one antibiotic.

    Here Is WHAT Consumer Reports Tested

    Consumer Reports has been measuring contamination in store-bought chickens since 1998. For our latest analysis, we had an outside lab test 382 chickens bought last spring from more than 100 supermarkets, gourmet- and natural-food stores, and mass merchandisers in 22 states. We tested three top brands—Foster Farms, Perdue, and Tyson—as well as 30 nonorganic store brands, nine organic store brands, and nine organic name brands. Five of the organic brands were labeled “air-chilled” (a slaughterhouse process in which carcasses are refrigerated and may be misted, rather than dunked in cold chlorinated water).

    Here Is What They Found

    • Campylobacter was in 62 percent of the chickens, salmonella was in 14 percent, and both bacteria were in 9 percent. Only 34 percent of the birds were clear of both pathogens.
    • Among the cleanest overall were air-chilled broilers. About 40 percent harbored one or both pathogens. Eight Bell & Evans organic broilers, which are air chilled, were free of both, but our sample was too small to determine that all Bell & Evans broilers would be.
    • Store-brand organic chickens had no salmonella at all, showing that it’s possible for chicken to arrive in stores without that bacterium riding along. But 57 percent of those birds harbored campylobacter.
    • The cleanest name-brand chickens were Perdue’s: 56 percent were free of both pathogens. This is the first time since we began testing chicken that one major brand has fared significantly better than others across the board.
    • Most contaminated were Tyson and Foster Farms chickens. More than 80 percent tested positive for one or both pathogens.
    • Among all brands and types of broilers tested, 68 percent of the salmonella and 60 percent of the campylobacter organisms we analyzed showed resistance to one or more antibiotics. (THIS SHOULD SCARE YOU)

    Here is What CR Suggest You Do

    • Make chicken one of the last items you buy before heading to the checkout line.
    • Choose chicken that is well wrapped and at the bottom of the case, where the temperature should be coolest.
    • Place chicken in a plastic bag like those in the produce department to keep juices from leaking.
    • If you’ll cook the chicken within a couple of days, store it at 40° F or below. Otherwise, freeze it.
    • Thaw frozen chicken in a refrigerator, inside its packaging and on a plate, or on a plate in a microwave oven. Never thaw it on a counter: When the inside is still frozen, the outside can warm up, providing a breeding ground for bacteria. Cook chicken thawed in a microwave oven right away.
    • Don’t return cooked meat to the plate that held it raw.
    • Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.

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    Simply in Season

    December 11, 2009 · Filed under 411, Reference/Books/Help, Veggies

    Here is a great resource for discovering what fruits and veggies are in Season, as well as what each fruit/veggie offers as far as nutrients.

    Click this link and access each fruit/veggie from the right-hand side of the page!

    http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/guide/general.html

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    Et tu, Brute?

    December 9, 2009 · Filed under 411

    OH NO Obama!  What up?

    Regardless of political associations we all eat the same food and we need to hold the Man-in-Charge to his WORD!!!  No more business as usual when it comes to what we eat and what we feed our kids!

    Click & Click (on the blog excerpt below and it will take you to a page where you can contact your Senator and say “No thank you!”) and you might be able to make a difference!  Just a week left!!!

    From The Slow Food USA Blog:

    Sooooo, apparently hoop houses aren’t the only things gaining ground at the White House.  A note from a friend of ours at World Hunger Year (WHY), Siena Chrisman:

    When he was on the campaign trail, President Obama pledged, “We’ll tell ConAgra that it’s not the Department of Agribusiness. It’s the Department of Agriculture. We’re going to put the people’s interests ahead of the special interests.” Given such strong language, a lot of people were surprised and dismayed at the October nomination of Islam Siddiqui—a former pesticide lobbyist and vice president for CropLife America—to the important post of Chief Agriculture Negotiator for the US Trade Representative.

    90,000 people signed a petition asking the president to stick to his campaign promise to stop the revolving door between industry and government. The protest got noticed by the media. Even the New York Times weighed in, recommending “tough questions” at Siddiqui’s Senate confirmation hearing.

    Nonetheless, Siddiqui is still on track for confirmation. He will likely pass through committee this week to a full Senate vote. After that, his confirmation could happen within hours. We must act now to derail the nomination. If one person calls their Senator for every ten that signed the petition, we will make that revolving door much squeakier than it’s been in a long time.

    Click here to contact your Senator.

    Read the New York Times article.

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    Baked Glazed Carrots, A Perfect Winter Treat!

    December 9, 2009 · Filed under side dishes, Veggies · Tagged

    I have no idea why but I have a hard time with carrots. Cooked, raw…doesn’t matter, I just usually pass! But when eating seasonally, and locally, carrots are a common staple at my local co-op so I have been keeping an eye out for appealing carrot recipes.

    I was browsing the spices at Whole Foods yesterday when I found these fabulous little packets of mixes (sans all the junk) from Simply Organic Foods! This of course led me to their website last night and there are just TONS of cool recipes! This one caught my eye because my house is HUGE on Agave syrup, and this recipe called for it!

    Doesn’t get much easier people.

    Baked Glazed Carrots

    INGREDIENTS:

    • 1lb Carrots diced (Nicer-Dicer, took me 2 minutes for a perfectly diced bowl of carrots)
    • 1/2 cup Agave syrup (I use Organic Blue Agave)
    • 1 packet Simply Organic Foods Taco Mix (ok, any taco mix will work but just make sure the stuff in it is good for you!)

    Mix it all in an oven safe dish, bake at 350 for 40 – 50 minutes.

    I had some pre-cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s in the fridge so I added those about 10 minutes before the carrots were done, GREAT COMBO!

    Note: I ate this as my dinner, since the lentils added protein. My Husband ate his with a steak and said it was a great combo. The kids found it a bit too spicy so I would probably split the batch next time and just cook theirs with less seasoning. If you are ever making a taco dinner, or having a Mexican Fiesta and you have a vegetarian or Vegan coming serve this dish, it would be excellent in a taco shell!

    Actually as I ate the leftovers today lots of ideas came to mind:

    • Add ground beef or ground turkey (already cooked) for the last 10 minutes, sprinkle with cheese and serve with whole grain chips
    • Add a dollap of Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
    • Serve the glazed carrots/meat or lentils in a taco shell and add your usual taco toppings

    The 411 on the Baked Glazed Carrots (w/o lentils): 130 calories, .5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 270mg sodium, 31g total carbohydrate and 1g protein

    The 411 on Carrots Nutrients: Vitamins A, C, K; potassium; alpha- and beta-carotene antioxidants; fiber.

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    What a difference a year makes.

    December 7, 2009 · Filed under 411

    I dedicate today, and this post to Michelle Todd, who told me “You can do anything for 5 days, just try it!”

    It is hard for me to really believe that a whole year has passed.  365 days since I drank a diet coke.  365 days since I went 5 months no meat, no dairy.  365 days since I woke up feeling fat, lethargic, pretty much hopeless that I was destined to be fat and tired the rest of my life.

    In all my years of dieting…eating this, not eating that, ONLY eating THIS, NEVER eating that, eating two of those and one of that…(you get the picture) I have never felt as energetic, alive, relaxed and UNFOCUSED on food as I do today.  It has been one  year since I started eating what I call real food, whole foods and not eating all the processed, chemically laden, man-made food!  I have lost weight this past year, not a lot, maybe 15 pounds, but it is 15 pounds I know I will never gain back, and is 15 pounds I really didn’t have to think about losing…they just went away.  What is even more amazing is they went away over a Christmas Season, New Year Holiday, three  trips to Vegas, two trips to Hawaii, a trip to Mexico and a Summer of BBQ’s and Birthday parties.  All of these events in the past have been minefields for me, each representing at least 2 to 5 pounds gained and a complete obsession about what I was eating, what I shouldn’t be eating, how much I had eaten, could I have just a bite?  Could I have another drink?

    I am pretty sure not a day between the age of 12 and 35 years old went by that I did not have some internal battle over food raging within me.  Some days were new beginnings, full of hope and energy, but most days were filled with low self-esteem, feeling gratified by a meal…then beating myself up for eating it.  I have been on Nutri-system (age 13), Jenny Craig (age 16), weight-watchers, light-for life, Adkins, volumetrics, fat-flush…the list goes on and on.  All of them worked.  When you limit your calories you lose weight.  But none of them taught me about what food is, how to prepare it, enjoy it, EMBRACE it…and in the end I would revert back to my old ways of eating not that much most of the time, and way too much some of the time, all of it lacking in quality and substance and that equation left me 25 to 40 pounds over-weight.

    Why did it have to be so hard?  I am not a Dr., I am not a nutritionist, and I am not claiming to be an expert…but I have waged a war within myself and with what society claims to be food, for over 3 decades now. 

    Real food is not a drug.  Real food is energy and should make you feel good, healthy and  vibrant.  Real food should complete you.  America’s version of food is a drug.  I believe it is addictive, it drains us of our energy, zaps us of our zest and has been proven to endanger our health and well-being.  Some of us are clearly more susceptible to processed, man-made food.  Many of us are more susceptible to weight-gain, and to the adverse effects of these foods, but all of us are in jeopardy, regardless of weight.  I have skinny friends who eat so much junk they have oily hair, bad acne, low energy…always tired, a hard time falling asleep.  I believe 100% we are what we eat. 

    This is what I believe and this is my blog so I get to say what I want (God Bless America).  I do not care if you can show me studies that tell me that antibiotics in my meat, hormones in my dairy, chemicals in my food, methane gas ripening my food, or my food being grown with pesticides and transported half way around the world is indeed NOT BAD for me.  I ate those foods and I felt and looked, pretty bad.

    So here I am a year later.  Thinner, healthier, more energetic!  My hair and skin look great, my mood is consistent, overall I would say I am less-stressed and more “zenful” if you will.

    The most pride for me comes in watching my kids eat.  They ask for seconds on salads, enjoy grilled fish, shrimp, sweet potatoes, asparagus, (we are working on broccoli, and I mean all of us:), green beans.  They snack on edamame, apples, oranges, and FREAK out when fresh berries are in season.  I gave them life, and now my Husband and I are ensuring it will be a long and healthy one.

    The thing I find the most amazing is the less processed, junk-filled food you eat…the worse it tastes when you do have a bite of something here or there.  It is almost like once your taste-buds reset they don’t want to go back.  I watch this with my kids when they eat half a cheeseburger, or two or three fries and walk away from the rest.

    In his book In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan said in that any food with more than three ingredients is not really food.  He also wrote seven little words that resonated loudly with me, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”  When I eat, cook, and shop I keep all of this in mind.

    I also have expanded my vocabulary.  In our home we have introduced new terminology:  farm-to-table, organically grown, artisan, sustainable, Genetically Modified Organism, factory farming, slow food, slow cooking, the high price of cheap food, antibiotics, hormones, locally grown, seasonal, and so many more.

    I challenge you the way Michelle challenged me.  Try 5 days.  5 days of no processed foods, no sodas, no fast food, no junk food.  Try to shop for one week at a co-op, farmers market, or a grocery store that carries locally grown produce and see what you can come up with.  I felt so much better in those 5 days that I was eager to keep going.  In the beginning I did it for me.  But as time went on and I realized how easy it was to eat whole, real, healthy foods, I slowly changed the way this family eats.  My family, and many friends have also made changes, and that is a GOOD THING!

    Thank you for reading, for supporting me, and for going on this journey with me.  I look forward to another year of discovering more about eating locally, eating organic foods, and finding new recipes that are comprised of fresh, wholesome real foods.

    I am posting photos because a friend suggested I should, so why not?   And my fridge…just because, my Husband opened it yesterday and pointed out it looked a lot different not so long ago.  Take out boxes, sugar-filled yogurt, cheap eggs & milk, not many veggies, and often times simply sparce…eating on the run more often than not.

    What a difference a year makes.

    Jennifer

    December 2008

    December 2009

    Mexico, November 2008

    Mexico, November 2009

    Comments (2) »

    There’s Something About Maria

    December 6, 2009 · Filed under 411, Advice from the Experts, Reference/Books/Help

    Maria Rodale is the CEO & Chairman of Rodale Publishing.  Rodale is a pretty cool company  - they are VERY GREEN and focused on bringing us publications centered around health, wellness and the environment!  Check them out at Rodale.com! 

    Maria is a pretty amazing woman, the more I read about her the more fascinated I become that one person can accomplish, contribute, teach and live as much as Maria has.  Seriously, her bio reads like SUPERWOMAN, though when you spend time in her kitchen you feel like you are with the Aunti you always wished you had!  OK, so I am not really in her kitchen but I am in her blog, a place I have come to love.

    Treat yourself to a new friend, and a new find, and visit Maria’s Farm Country Kitchen! 

    Maria just released her 2nd Annual Farm-to-Table restaurant recommendations and a Seattle eatery made the list:

    6. Serious Pie, Seattle, Washington. To be honest, I am sure there are even better farm-to-table restaurants in Seattle, but this is the only one I’ve had time to try, and it was really good. The pizza crust was perfection—thin, tender, smoky, tasty. And the toppings were unusual, but not so unusual as to not be comforting, which is what pizza is truly all about. tomdouglas.com/index.php/restaurants/serious-pie

    Here is the complete list! http://www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com/maria%e2%80%99s-second-annual-top-ten-farm-to-table-restaurant-recommendations/

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