Piel de Sapo Melon

Our family LOVES melon. It seems we always have diced melon in the fridge ready to devour. Usually it's a simple cantaloupe or seedless watermelon; however, recently we tried yellow watermelon - our conclusion was that it was good, but not as yummy as traditional red watermelon.

A couple weeks ago I picked up this bad boy at the local Kowalski's...

Piel de Sapo Melon

Piel de Sapo translated means toad skin, which is exactly what the skin of this melon resembles.

  

The interior flesh was very soft and delicate with the sweet smell of cantaloupe but the taste of an extremely ripe and flavorful honeydew melon. It kind of reminded me of the Galia melon that I tried last year, but with a much smoother texture - almost melt in your mouth.

In other news, we will be visiting Santa Monica because Allan is shooting a commercial in South Pasadena and would love suggestions on fun places to visit and great (healthy) places to eat - preferably within walking distance of the Miramar hotel.

What fun new Summer foods have you tried this year?

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Quality pure vanilla extract is a clean eating kitchen staple. I personally use it several times a day. Vanilla extract adds a distinct dimension of flavor to my morning oatmeal, post-workout smoothies, mid-morning greek yogurt, homemade protein bars, the list goes on and on. However, at $7.60 per 4 oz bottle, this fabulous kitchen staple can really put a dent in our clean eating grocery budgets. So, when my dear friend, Melissa, told me that she was making her own homemade vanilla extract for a fraction of the cost of store bought I was all ears.

Vanilla Extract one of those items that never occurred to me could be so simple to make at home. I feel slightly embarrassed even calling this a recipe. Had I known that I could easily make my own vanilla extract I would have started saving money years ago!

Vanilla Extract


1 cup good quality organic vodka (I use Phillips Organic Prairie Vodka)
2 organic vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise


Combine the vodka and vanilla beans in a glass mason jar. Cover and shake vigorously. Store in a cool, dark place to steep.


Give the mason jar a good vigorous shake daily for 1 week. Vanilla extract will be ready to use.


At this point you can remove the vanilla beans; however, I let them steep until I use up all of the vanilla extract and it is time to make a new batch.


Tip: Look in the bulk spice section of your local co-op for BIG savings on vanilla beans. Local grocery stores usually charge upwards of $7 a piece for pre-packaged organic vanilla beans; however, I can pick up 2 vanilla beans at Valley Natural Foods for $3-$4 total. In addition, I have found that the bulk vanilla beans are softer and have more flavor than the pre-packaged vanilla beans.

Which kitchen staples do you make at home to save money?

Hidden Ingredients

A close friend of mine (Hi Miss Laura!) told me about the Mrs. May's Trio bars that she picked up at Cosco that tasted yummy, were relatively inexpensive and had a very simple ingredient list. Better yet, the bars are described on their website as being:

Vegan, No Trans Fat, No Additives, No Preservatives, No Cholesterol, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free, Non-GMO, Kosher

I was instantly intrigued. So, I looked up additional information on the Mrs. May's brand and their food philosophy. The following is Mrs. May's About Us section of their website...

In a world of processed foods, endless ingredient lists, and high sugar treats; Mrs. May's Naturals took a more basic approach. Why not combine simple and wholesome ingredients to make a delicious snack?

Sounds easy, but it wasn't. While Mrs. May's treats go back more than two generations, we've re-worked and perfected our recipes to bring you the best possible product.

The result is always the same: a deliciously light and crunchy snack that everybody loves. After introducing four flavors just a few years ago, Mrs. May's now offers 15 great varieties.

Each made with premium grade ingredients such as roasted nuts, toasted sesame seeds, natural fruit pieces, organic evaporated cane juice, rice malt, and sea salt.

The snacks are slowly dry roasted to bring out the most flavor, and to add a lively crunch!

All Mrs. May's products are vegan, non-GMO, cholesterol free, dairy free, wheat free, Gluten free, 0 Trans Fat and contain no artificial colors or flavors. And our ingredients lists are short and sweet!

Well, that sounded excellent! Then Laura then sent me the Trio bar ingredients list and I was instantly intrigued.

• Cashew
• Almonds
• Pistachios
• Strawberries
• Sesame Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Dates
• Raisins
• Rice Malt
• Natural Flavors
• Evaporated Cane Juice
• Sea Salt

At first glance, this ingredients list seems rather harmless and clean. The bars are filled with yummy, good for you natural ingredients... nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Evaporated cane juice and sea salt are used, which are both great clean alternatives to refined white sugar and table salt. Also, these less desirable ingredients are at the very end of the ingredients list, meaning that they were used sparingly.

However upon further inspection, I was a bit taken back by Mrs. May's use of "natural flavors" to describe some of their ingredients. If they are truly a natural company, as their website states, why would they not simply list the "natural flavors" that they use?

According to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations describes a "natural flavouring" as:

the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavouring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or any other edible portions of a plant, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose primary function in food is flavouring rather than nutritional.

So, I sent Mrs. May's an email asking about the natural flavorings that they use and here was their response:

Our Natural Flavor is composed of the following ingredients: DEXTROSE, CORN STARCH, WATER, SILICON DIOXIDE (ANTI-CAKING AGENT)

Dextrose: Better known today as glucose, this sugar is the chief source of energy in the body. Glucose is chemically considered a simple sugar. Dextrose, commonly called glucose, d-glucose, or blood sugar, occurs naturally in food, and is moderately sweet. It is a monosaccharide (basic unit of carbohydrates, C6H1206) and has a high glycemic index (digested carbohydrates ability to raise blood glucose levels, also called Gl) ranking at 100.

Cornstarch, or cornflour, is the starch of the maize grain, commonly known as corn. It has a distinctive appearance and feel when mixed raw with water or milk, giving easily to gentle pressure but resisting sudden pressure. The composition of cornstarch varies depending upon the feedstock, but it may considered to be approximately 25% amylose and 75% amylopectin.

Our products are "dairy free." Please be advised, because there is cornstarch in the “natural flavor,” there is a small amount of corn derivative in our product.

For more detailed information for “natural flavors” please visit www.goldcoastinc.com.

I hope this helps!

Thank you,

After receiving this information, I determined that the bars are really not as clean as I once thought because they contain dextrose (high-glycemic, refined sugar), cornstarch (filler/thickening agent), and silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent).

Now, I don't know about you, but I would not identify cornstarch, water or silicon dioxide as ingredients that are used for the sake of flavoring. Cornstarch is commonly used as a thickening agent or as a food filler and is regarded as being tasteless. While silicon dioxide is an anti-caking agent. It seems as though Mrs. May's might be attempting to hide these ingredients from consumers as opposed to protecting their list of natural flavorings. Although, I do applaud their customer service for being frank and open in addition to sending a very prompt response to my inquiry.

The moral of the story is that we should always, always, ALWAYS be weary of the ingredients in EVERYTHING that we consume, even if everything looks clean and natural... natural is not always clean. :)

Teeccino

A couple days ago Allan and I were at Kowalski's picking up a couple items that we were running low on like eggs, milk, sausages, etc. A few weeks ago I decided to cut out my beloved morning skim lattes in favor of chai tea lattes and was running low on my Chai Slightly Sweet liquid yumminess. But to my shock and horror Kowalki's was completely out of it! However, sitting right next to where my beloved should have been was Teeccino.

According to their website, Teeccino Caffeine-free Herbal Coffee is a delicious blend of herbs, grains, fruits and nuts that are roasted and ground to brew and taste just like coffee.

I have been wanting to try Teeccino for a while and this seemed like the perfect opportunity! I decided to try the Mocha flavor.

So, this morning I used my Bialetti Mukka Express along with light soy milk to make a Teeccino mocha. It was very good! However, be forewarned that it doesn't really taste like mocha or coffee, but has a really unique and yummy chocolaty flavor with a hint of coffee.

Yummies from Lovely

Last night our good friend, Jamie Paul, stopped over bearing some yummy gifts! With him he had 3 Punch pizza's for supper along with some Lovely Mpls swag.

Jamie and Kevin of Lovely Mpls were nice enough to share with us the "Your Hair is Lovely" poster above and the Hope print below that I have been in love with since we visited their studio last winter. Thanks!!! If you are interested in purchasing a print from Lovely Mpls you can visit their etsy site.

Experiments in the Kitchen

Here are some of the yummy things that I have been whipping up in my kitchen lately. All of the following items were quick, simple and wonderfully delicious!

Kristen's Holiday Chia Pudding is a yummy cold treat to enjoy as a midday snack or an end of the day dessert. I usually enjoy my Holiday Chia Pudding cold vs. lukewarm, which is how Kristen enjoys her pudding. Make it for yourself and decided which way it's best enjoyed!

One of my favorite meals that I have been making lately is my very own Coconut Cacao Oats. Shown here topped with homemade almond butter, Artisana Cacao Bliss and shredded coconut. Fabulous!!!

I love homemade raw nut milks! They are much more flavorful and complex when made fresh and raw rather than the packaged, heated and shelf stable varieties that can be found at grocery stores. I have found that I prefer raw cashew-based milks over almond-based and would really like to try pumpkinseed and hazelnut milks some time soon. For now, I have simply been making my own recipes for vanilla-spice cashew milk and chocolate-cinnamon cashew milk (as pictured below).

I hope that you enjoyed a glimpse into my test kitchen! I hope to be making several new dishes next week when I am officially back to work after our Staycation. Enjoy the weekend and keep it clean!

Galia Melon

During the summer months, the produce section at the grocery store and the local farmers markets are brimming with interesting produce. I am completely intrigued by unique produce and the Galia melon did NOT disappoint.

Out of the varying types of melons in the produce section, I choose the Galia because it was the most fragrant. The smell alone made me want to sink my teeth into it right then and there. :) Also, the skin of the Galia is completely different than most melons, it appears to have little veins running through it that seemed penetrate into the melon.

I was expecting the flesh of the Galia to be yellow or orange and was surprised to cut it open and find this:

The flesh is GREEN!!!

The taste of the melon was familiar, yet different; sweet and watery, yet complex.

The best way to describe it is if a Cantaloupe and Honeydew were iMated you would get the Galia.

By the way, visit Gina's blog because she is giving away a copy of Sarma Melngailis' new book. I looked at it briefly the other day at Barnes and Noble and would really like to buy a copy.

Chia/Salba vs. Ground Flax

I know that there are a lot of people that are confused about the nutritional difference between Chia/Salba seeds and ground flaxseed. I have been doing a bit of research and here is what I have come up with.

This is the nutritional profile comparison:

*Please note that the caloric difference between Flaxseed and Chia/Salba is due to the fact that Flaxseed has 1g of monounsaturated fat and .5g more protein than Chia/Salba. Please remember that monounsaturated fat is an EFA and is GOOD for you. In addition, it has been proven that a diet high in protein will keep you fuller longer.

As you look at this chart you should notice that Chia/Salba and Flaxseed have a very similar nutritional profile. They both contain similar amounts of Omega 3, 6, and 9 EFAs as well as fiber - the two main reasons most of us consume either product.

The main difference between the two is the price per serving. Here is a comparison of the price per serving of a couple different brands of Chia/Salba and ground flaxseed:

*It is best to purchase whole flaxseeds and grind them at home using a blender, magic bullet, coffee grinder (devoted to seed grinding), or food processor. Oftentimes, pre-ground flaxseed can become rancid in the store.

As you can see, the difference in price per serving between Salba and Bob's Red Mill Ground Flaxseed is $0.44 per serving, which adds up quickly. If you consume 1 serving per day, the difference is $13.20/month.

Also, remember that whole and ground flaxseed is available in the Bulk bins of most grocery retailers. There you can purchase Flaxseed for deep discounts. Chia/Salba is starting to pop up in the bulk bins of some retailers, but is still difficult to locate and more expensive than flaxseed.

Overall, if you are a budget-conscious shopper, Chia/Salba is not nutritionally worth the extra money. However, if budget is not a concern, I would recommend trying Chia/Salba seeds because they have a really cool texture when soaked in liquid.

Chicken Sausages

Question:

What brand of chicken sausage do you eat?

Answer:

I use Applegate Farms Frozen Natural Chicken Sausages.

These are wonderful breakfast sausages that are easy to make, natural, uncured, do not contain added nitrates and nitrites, and are naturally sweetened with honey. Check out the nutrition info and ingredients for 3 sausages.

Note: I only eat one sausage every morning.

Kicked My Butt

Allan and I went on a nice long bike ride along the Mississippi River. We started our adventure at Hidden Falls Park in St. Paul and biked through downtown St. Paul, stopped at Golden's Deli for lunch, up Summit Hill, down Crocus Hill, to Shepherd Road and back to Hidden Falls Park. Being that the bike path runs along the river bluffs, there were lots of hills mostly uphill on our way to downtown and then a few downhills on the way back. However, on the way back we biked into the wind the entire time, and let me tell you, that was not as easy task! By the end of the ride my quads were burning!!!

Today I plan on making Cooler 1 Protein Muffins for my Cooler 1 challenge next week and 2 pans of Chocolate Protein Bars for Allan. Because the Chocolate Protein Bars are difficult to mix, I am going to try using the food processor's dough blade to blend the dough together.

Allan and I have been really loving these Raw Organic Food Bars lately and I would love to find a good recipe that is similar, because they are expensive.

We have tried a few different varieties and have decided that the Chocolate Coconut flavor is definitely the best flavor. We love to throw them into Allan's Twin Six crumpler bag and enjoy them on a beach along the river (which we have done twice in the last week). 

Speaking of Raw Food, pop on over to Gina's blog, where she is giving away a spiralizer.

Happy Monday!

It is a dreary, cold Monday here in MN. What is it like where you are? 

Allan and I had a fantastic weekend filled with clean food, the outdoors, and some much needed relaxation.

I spent Friday afternoon grocery shopping at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. I picked up some much needed essentials and some fun and new items to try, including Maca and Chia Seeds.

On Friday night we sat outside and ate shrimp cocktail. I made the cocktail sauce recipe from Tosca's Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook. It was really easy to throw together and was very tasty. Next time I make it, I will ensure that have Tobasco sauce on hand (instead of using Frank's) and will probably add a bit more horseradish for a little more zip.

Then we made clean pizzas. We used some leftover pizza sauce that I had frozen and Allan tried the Trader Joe's pizza crust that I picked up and I had my pizza on an english muffin - I just love eating pizza this way! Allan liked the Trader Joe's pizza crust and thought that it was a great change of pace. I tried a slice and thought that it tasted really good. Overall, the Trader Joe's crust is a good value, at a little over $1.00 per 12-inch crust; but it was a little bit of a struggle to roll out to fit the pizza pan. Next time I will let it sit out for a bit longer and let it get to room temperature.

Allan has decided to start commuting downtown to work... heck it's only 5.3 miles! So, on Saturday we took the Fuji in to Penn Cycle for some new tires. While there, Allan and I decided to check out some new bikes. We really weren't looking for anything new, Allan is refurbishing a Fuji bike that his dad gave him and when I feel like riding, I can use Allan's sister's old bike. Low and behold I walked away with a new bike! It is a Trek Lime Light that was used as a demo bike. I am so excited to have a bike of my very own!!! Tomorrow I will have Allan take a pic of me on my new bike and post it here.

On Saturday afternoon, I was really excited to try making Kale Chips from Dani Spies. Unfortunately, they did not turn out as well as I had liked. The "chips" burnt easily and they smelled a bit funny. Oh well. Sometimes things just don't turn out the way that you would like. I always like Dani's recipes and was sad that I did not like this one. Oh well, if you check out her site, there are few new items, like the Peanut Butter Performance Pancakes, that look amazing!

We decided to brake in our new bikes and took a nice ride down to Minnehaha Falls... about an 8 mile ride roundtrip. What fun! For supper we tried a new type of Amy's Veggie Burger, Texas, which has a BBQ flavor. Both Allan and I really liked them and would have them again.

On Sunday, we went to Bed Bath and Beyond to use our 20% off coupons before they expired. I picked up a new Simple Human paper towel holder, 2 new Calphalon hard anodized omelet pans (a great deal at $49.99 for the 10" and 12" set), and a Kitchen Aid Food Processor. I will post a pic of the new Food Processor tomorrow with the bike pic. I know that I originally said that I wanted the Cuisinart model, but when I saw both models in the store next to one another, I changed my mind. Also, I was able to snag a never been used, straight out of the box "display" model for a deep discount. The Food Processor is very cool and I will give you more specifics when I post the pic.

While at Bed Bath and Beyond I peeped a very cool new stainless steel dishrack by Simply Human that I know have my eye on. If I would've had one more 20% off coupon, it would be sitting on my counter right now!

Being that I had a brand new toy to use I decided to make the Donut Holes from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen Cookbook. 

They are VERY good!!! I will take a pic and post it tonight! They kind of remind me of Lara bars.

While my batch of Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins were cooking, I made Raw Pumpkin Pudding from Gone Raw. I did not have any raw pumpkin or squash, so I used canned pumpkin - I know that it is not raw. But it was very tasty. I had a bowl after supper with chia seeds soaked in it. VERY GOOD!!! Thanks, Abbie at Foods That Fit for the suggestion. 

For supper I made meatballs from Tosca's Eat-Clean Diet Family and Kids Book with Muir Glenn Cabernet Marinara sauce and Ancient Harvest Quinoa Noodles. This was a great combination!!! I really liked the Ancient Harvest Quinoa Noodles - these noodles really reminded me of white starchy noodles that I haven't had in years. The texture was spot on and they tasted so good! Also, the meatballs were super easy to make. I baked a double batch and froze the remaining meatballs to use sometime in the future when I am pressed for time. Just pop them in the sauce to thaw and you are ready to go! What an easy and delicious meal!

Protein Factory Review

I recently placed a custom Protein Powder order from Protein Factory.

We received two different products in the mail about a week ago. Being that this was a custom order it took about a week for the package to arrive at our house with standard processing and shipping. I was very pleased with the ordering and service received. 

The website was very informative and helpful in explaining the different ingredients. However, some of the information seemed to be buried. I think that it would be helpful if the ingredient explanations were included in the custom protein powder tool. I also found it to be a little awkward ordering ingredients by percentage of whole. I would have preferred a "one of this, two of that" approach to customization.

I ordered two different protein powders, a vanilla weight loss formula and a chocolate lean gain formula. Overall, both protein powders taste good and met my expectations. The came in the pictured bags and did not include scoops. I wish that they would have included pre-measured scoops to correspond with the serving size listed on the Nutrition Label. I also wish that they would have came in nicely designed canisters as opposed to bags. I don't really like the bags.  The bags do not have the ingredients or nutrition info on them, this information came printed on 8.5X11 sheets of paper that accompanied the bags.

The vanilla weight loss formula is all whey protein powder. This is the formula that I ordered:

This is the nutrition info:

I do not mind the taste of the vanilla protein powder in shakes, but because it is unsweetened, it does not taste very good on its own. The vanilla flavor is not strong and almost tastes like an "original" flavor rather than vanilla. It also froths up a lot when blended, especially when I add it to the Vita-Mix. This was a little strange at first, but am now getting used to it. Amazingly, when I bring a smoothie with me to work, it is still frothy hours later.

The chocolate lean gain formula is a combination of a few different proteins. This is the formula:

This is the nutrition info:

The chocolate protein powder can easily be drank on its own with a little added sucanat. I also used it to make Chocolate Protein Bars. They are very good. For some reason the chocolate protein powder does not froth up like the vanilla. 

I have not baked with either protein powders yet, but do plan to do so sometime in the near future.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Review Fridays

I have decided that I will start doing Review Fridays, where I will choose a product and use it intermittently throughout the week and then on Fridays I will give you my opinion on the product. What do you think? Do you have any suggestions of products that you would like me to review?

Today I will be reviewing the vanilla protein powder that I mixed for myself at Protein Factory. 

Next week's review will be of the cereal that I mixed up at MyWayCereal that just shipped today.