Menu Plan Monday-Nov 21st

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

It is beyond me how it could be Thanksgiving already. Our plan was to visit E’s great grandma, but she just passed away, so…plan b is to chill out and have an extremely low key Thanksgiving, which sounds about perfect. I know that may sound boring, but I’m in the middle of job transitions and construction at home, so no obligations is truly a beautiful thing. All I want is applesauce, and I’ve got a bunch of apples from the Farmers’ market, so that should be super easy.
If you’re still hunting, the Washingtonian Blog was nice enough to have a gluten-free T day roundup! and I have my Thanksgiving newsletter and recipe roundup here.

And my camera picked an appropriate time to stop working, so no pictures, but my goodness, I shouldn’t have a hard time finding a sale to get a new one.

Our hostess this week is Heather of Celiac Family and the theme is Thanksgiving. If you want to host upcoming weeks, I’m sure she’d love to hear from you.

Monday:
Curried chicken and cauliflower

Tues:
Leftovers (I’m at class)

Weds:
Beef Stew

Thurs:
still up for debate…

Friday:
out for dinner. Not Thanksgiving dinner, but a fun, tasty GF dinner, most likely at Mike’s American Grill

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Pizza, a vegetable? *sigh*

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

It’s not just the food, it’s the message…

If you haven’t seen the news, Congress, in their infinite wisdom, has declared pizza a vegetable. And I am so frustrated and disappointed.

The best thing about kids is how they’re little sponges. And the hardest thing about kids is that they’re little sponges. They learn by absorbing what they see. So not only are they failing to receive adequate nutrients from the school lunches, but they are getting a template for how to feed their bodies. And I, for one, think that’s a recipe for disaster.

Now, before someone says that I’m blowing this out of proportion, I have taught children’s cooking classes in inner cities where the common belief is that broccoli comes from Safeway. There’s no sense of a connection to where it’s grown, or how it comes to show up at the grocery store. I grew up in a suburb of NYC, and I never saw actual live growing broccoli until I was in my 20s. Many children will still learn to appreciate good, real food at home, but especially the ones that DON’T have that opportunity NEED that opportunity at school!

Somewhere along the way, we’re going to realize that kids’ nutrition is not just a health issue, but a matter of national security. Somehow I doubt that considering pizza as a vegetable is going to help grow strong, health human beings who are physically fit and capable. For many, school meals may be the main opportunity for balanced meals, and this isn’t the way to make that happen.

This isn’t to demonize pizza. It can absolutely be part of a healthy, balanced diet. But it’s simply not a vegetable. Period.

To read more, see Food Politics.

Posted in cheryl's musings | 2 Comments

Fun stuff and a mini menu plan

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

I’m super jazzed.  WashingtonPost did a feature on Celiac and a gluten-free diet and included some of my thoughts, too!  http://wapo.st/ug1iKz

I also did my annual T day roundup.  G-Free turkey list?  Check!  Recipes?  Check!  Tips for making it go smoothly?  You got it

I also posted an update on my life, which currently involves concrete everywhere at home.  And yet it’s all for a good cause–a garage by snowfall (fingers crossed).

Food…well, a mini meal plan is in order, because chaos has reigned. I already made Black Bean Brownies this week since a friend had to put her dear kitty to sleep, and NinjaBread Birthday cookies are on the lineup for tomorrow.

Oh wait, you mean food food? I suppose one cannot live on brownies and cookies alone. Angela is our menu swap hostess and she’s chosen slow cookers, and so I will dig for mine. Please also see Celiac family for future hosts/hostesses.

Monday:
Marinated herb chicken w/broccoli

Tues:
Leftovers (late night class)

Weds:
Quinoa and kale pesto

Thurs
Something slow cooker inspired?

Friday:
Leftovers

Posted in menu plan | 3 Comments

Change in the Air

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Cheryl Harris



It is the season of change…as we see the trees go from a brilliant display of leaves to bare, it’s never more obvious that change is all around us. And I’m so aware of it myself this year. We’ve bought a house, sold a house, I’ve gotten a new office, and have another big job transition by the end of the month, and an even bigger one on the horizon. Some medical issues have popped up, others have faded. I’ve handed over Menu Plan Monday, too, but that’s probably not as earth shattering! All of them are positive changes, or things that I trust will be positive in the long run.

Now, we’re starting a relatively big construction project, and the bobcats and constant noise are pretty palpable reminders. Change. It’s up there with death and taxes.

I’m lucky that I like change, or at least I like it on paper. And yet sometimes it overwhelms me. I love the idea of having a garage, and yet the noise, debris and having people out my window daily doesn’t ring my bell. It’s such a perfect analogy for life, often there’s a lot of chaos, excavation, uprooting necessary for something new and beautiful to move in.

Change is happening, when I like it and when I don’t. My intention is to find ways to manage the stress, and (dare I say?) remember to enjoy the process.

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty ~Maya Angelou

Posted in cheryl's musings | 2 Comments

D-Tox January Cookbook

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

So nice to be back online! The people doing our garage addition cut some of the wires, and then bye, bye intertubes! I’m so glad to be back online to share this fun new cookbook. I was honored to participate and share my tips for living well with cancer.

D-Tox e-Cookbook Now on Sale!

One cold January, 20+ bloggers came together for 31 days to share 31 nourishing and detoxifying smoothie, juice, and soup recipes. The blogosphere buzzed with great new ways of upping the intake of fruit and vegetables to start the year off right.

Gfree Mom’s January D-tox event was so well received that these 20+ bloggers decided to write and publish an e-cookbook—capturing these fantastic recipes, tips and tricks in one place.

And so without further ado, we announce the release of Eat Fresh and D-Tox Your Life: A Collection of Smoothies, Juices, Soups and Tips for the Whole Family. Not only will this book provide you with inspiration to increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, but it also benefits others. All proceeds from this e-book go directly to MitoAction.

MitoAction and Their Mission.

MitoAction is a Boston-based nonprofit helping children and adults with mitochondrial disease navigate the complex journey of managing the disease. MitoAction’s mission is to improve the quality of life for everyone affected by mitochondrial disease through support, education, outreach, and advocacy initiatives. You may read more about MitoAction here.

What is Mitochondrial Disease?

Mitochondrial disease is a genetic, neurodegenerative disorder that occurs when the mitochondria fail to produce enough energy for cell or organ function. More common than cystic fibrosis, mitochondrial disease can develop in both children and adults and is often misdiagnosed. Mito symptoms are varied and progressive, and can include stroke, muscle pain, extreme fatigue, and organ failure. Mitochondrial disease is related to many other conditions, including autism, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

Download Your e-Cookbook Today!

To download your PDF e-cookbook Eat Fresh and D-Tox Your Life and support the efforts of MitoAction, click here. In this e-cookbook you will find:

> Tips like “How to Hide Greens” & “Smoothies and the Color Wheel”
> 9 Kid-Friendly and Beginner Smoothie Recipes
> 19 “Now I’m Feeling Braver” Smoothie and Juice Recipes
> A handful of soups, Detox Tips and More!
> Personal stories from, and hyperlinks, to each blogger’s website
> $10 suggested donation. Click Here to download.

A Dedication.

Gwen was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease, she was not able to eat and had to receive IV nutrition. She has spent as much of her young life in the hospital as out, and was the recipient of a multi-organ transplant, which included a new stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, and spleen.

Today, as always, she and her family are fighting to help her live a healthy life and allow her to do as many of the things young kids like to do as possible. Recently, Gwen was to be able to savor a bite of banana! As food bloggers, we live and breathe food, so we’d like to dedicate this book to Gwen.

Join the Effort.

If you would like to promote and sell this e-cookbook on your site, please feel free to do so. Use the content of this post freely (copy and images) and grab the badge below and link it to this url. And THANK YOU for your support!

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Menu Plan Monday–Spooky Treats

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

I hope it’s as beautiful where you are as it is here!  Yes, it’s a hair chilly, but oh, the leaves.  I am absolutely loving our new house with all of the beautiful trees.  And we have the happiest squirrels ever because we have an ungodly number of acorns.  I mean, they don’t even have to work for it.  Life is good all around.

I still have a bit of a dragging cold, I’m taking a late class Tuesday nights and we’re having a party Saturday, so it’s a super simple week.  Heather, the wonderful new MPM hostess has chosen the theme of spooky delights.  We’ve got that covered…not spooky treats, but Halloween treats!  Our menu for Saturday includes pumpkin brittle, pralines, chocolate chip cookies, Chocolate banana bread, a pineapple/raspberry crisp and white bean chili.

Monday:
Curried collards w/beef

Tues:
leftovers (BBQ chicken and carrots for E)

Weds:
Chicken and broccoli

Thurs:
Herb salad with salmon

Friday:
Whatever I can scrounge!

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Crunchmaster’s Crackers

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

I usually don’t do reviews.  The reason I made an exception for Crunchmaster’s crackers is because nutritionally, they’re actually *gasp* on the decent end of things.  Most GF crackers are rice crackers or corn starch or potato starch and such with very little fiber.  And of course I was lured in by the idea of great gluten free grains.

So first the taste reviews:

I confess, I didn’t realize the flash drive contained recipes.  I’m not sure how that escaped me.  So I did have tasters, but they were just tasting—we didn’t get to the recipes.  Whoops.

E loved them.  Usually he complains that crackers are tasteless, (and, to be honest, sometimes doesn’t like my crackers) but he enjoyed the crunch and crispy-ness.

My MIL thought they were good, and addictive, too.

Nutrition-wise—

First, I love that they’re GIG certified.  Yahoo for companies that go the extra mile to guarantee our safety (Cheryl blows Crunchmasters a kiss)

We received the sea salt and the cheddar.  The cheddar had 3 grams of fiber per serving (nice!) and the whole grains were pretty high on the list of ingredients.  For the 7 ancient grain hint of sea salt ones…yes, it has grains, but potato starch is much higher on the list of the healthy grains, and there’s a measly 1 gram of fiber (a good indicator of the amount/intactness of whole grain/seed).  I vote they figure out a way to include more of the whole grains and less potato starch.  Even ground brown rice flour isn’t very nutritious.

All and all, I would recommend Crunchmasters, and I will get them again for E.  I like the idea of the 5 seed ones with flax and chia particularly.

And although I’m reviewing something given to me, my opinions are solely my own.

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Cranberries (or how to make a fat cat fly)

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

I hope you’re having a fun 3 day weekend. It’s lovely here and the leaves are starting to do their thing.  Since this is our first autumn in the new house, I’m looking forward to the show and anticipating true beauty!

The theme for this week is cranberries, or how to make a fat cat fly.  Now, for starters, let’s just say that my cat, G, is a big dude.  I mean, a really big dude. We have a “double wide” cat scratcher and it fits just him–generally not the best sign. He was a stray and can’t seem to grasp that he doesn’t need to worry about food anymore.  We’ve tried with diet cat food, tennis balls in their dishes to slow them down and even a cat food dispenser, but he’s 100% happy with how he is, and of course, I love him exactly as he is. Until he changes his mind, I will still get my ribs crushed when he walks on me and we will get lectures from the vet.  So my main approach is to try to get him moving, and the best way to do that is…cranberries.  Yep, cranberries.  If I toss him a cranberry, he’ll fly across the floor and attack.  The problem, of course, is that means that cranberries end up in the darndest of places: under the fridge, inside shoes, under the futon, and are usually discovered weeks later and are rather furry.

I also love cranberries, but my main emphasis is on eating them, not chasing them.  I love them raw, simmered with a little agave, in relish, in apple crisps…and for more ideas, check out Ricki’s Wellness weekend.

Onto the menu!

Monday:
Kale and white beans with olives and roasted garlic

Tues:
Simply Yum Quinoa

Weds:
Chicken with cranberry relish

Thurs:
Coconut Curried Collards with Turkey

Friday:
Leftovers

And everyone else?

Renee of Beyond Rice and Tofu has a picture of (please shield the eyes of sensitive people reading, offensive 4 letter word ahead)

Ready?

Snow.

Fortunately it was at 7000 feet, but I for one am praying for a snow and ice-less year.  She also has Moroccan Chickpeas on the menu, which sounds delish.

Amanda of Gluten Free Detroit Metro has officially finished 3 weeks of full-time, back to work mommy, which hasn’t been easy.  Yahoo!  She’s got Angela’s White Chicken Chili on the menu.

Posted in menu plan | 12 Comments

Menu Plan Monday: Squash!

Posted on October 2, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

Change is in the air…

First, last call–if you haven’t sent in a comment to the FDA on GF labeling, PLEASE DO! Info here!
Not only have we been experiencing a weather change, but others are on the forecast! Heather of Celiac Family will be the new mommy of MPM, as of October 17th.  I have truly enjoyed hosting Menu Plan Monday, and yet the reality is that between working at 3 locations, running around to various doctor appointments, volunteering, hosting a meditation group, breathing and eating, I simply don’t have the time to devote to growing and publicizing the swap.  When I was blogging more often, there was more traffic to MPM and more participants.  And so it seemed the right time to step aside.

Also, as I’ve recognized the impact that the busy-ness has had on me, I have a bunch of new changes on the horizon (stay tuned!)  I have mentioned self-care at length, and it’s a cornerstone of my life.  I’ve realized how my commitments to groups and projects have started to erode my commitment to myself, and so a change was in order.  Obviously I still intend to participate in MPM, and look forward to Heather’s changes.

Heather is the hostess this week, and her ingredient is squash.  Since I’m allergic to the whole squash family, my appreciation will be limited to admiring the little lovelies seen above.  Unfortunately, the pumpkin plants are not in good health anymore, so we’ll likely only have the ones I’ve harvested already, but 18 was a new record!

It was a crazy week–I did something weird to my jaw and so I spent days eating lentil dal. Now, I love lentil dal, but enough is enough…and I don’t want to see it for an extended period of time! I also haven’t gone shopping because my in laws were visiting, and so I need to do some hard-core scrambling tomorrow to get up to speed.

Monday:
Chicken and kale pesto

Tues:
Chicken and sauteed fennel

Weds:
Beef stew with celery, carrots and potato

Thurs:
Honestly? Totally depends on what I find at the store tomorrow

Friday
TBD

Posted in menu plan | 5 Comments

Last Call for G-Free Labeling & Halloween Tips

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

Last call for FDA comments!!!

We’re getting down to the wire.  Comments to the FDA on gluten-free labeling are due October 3rd.  Now, if you’re like me, you’re in denial that it’s October and the summer has come and gone, but this is most likely the last time we’ll have the ability to express our views for a long time, so speak now or forever hold your peace!  I have my views posted here, you can submit your own comments here (enter keyword FDA-2005-N-0404 ), or sign a petition through 1 in 133.  Even if you’re sitting there, wondering what difference your comment will make, at the very least, it will let the FDA know that there is a large group of people who are vested in this law, and numbers speak volumes.

Think outside the candy dish….

When I first told my husband we weren’t giving out candy for Halloween, he looked at me like I had lost my mind. I certainly didn’t want our house to be one of those places that kids complain about, but I figured a few yo-yos or rubber duckies  might be a nice change from 101 Tootsie rolls. I was a little nervous about my decision, until my first trick-or-treater ran back to his dad and said, “Cool! A slinky!” Last year, a group of girls even told my husband that she looked forward to the “rubber duckie house” every year.  Somehow, I resisted the opportunity to say I told you so.

Oriental Trading Company www.orientaltrading.com sells inexpensive toys, stickers, rubber duckies and even temporary tattoos (for children you know well). Another non food option is mini cans of Play-Doh (though remember, Play Doh has gluten, so if you play, wash your hands thoroughly!) Some are more expensive than candy, but it depends on how you look at it. When you average in the bag of candy you bought on sale in September (and ate), the one in mid-October (which vanished as well) and the one you had to run out at the last minute and buy, it evens out in the end.

Of course I have great memories eating excessive quantities of candy on Halloween as a little kid, but there are many ways to have fun have non-food treats, too, and have a little more balance. Treats don’t have to be food! And there are also healthier gluten-free treats, like the  mini Larabars, all fruit leathers and a variety of allergen friendly treats including ones from Enjoy Life,  Yummy Earth gummy bears, Envirokidz mini-bars etc., too.

Tips for Enjoying Halloween with Food Restrictions

  • Talk to teachers and friends about focusing parties around activities (like pumpkin carving, apple bobbing, costume contest) rather than just trick or treating.
  • Get prepared! Figure out what candies are safe for your child (a list comes out each year through the R.O.C.K. group for gluten-free foods.  I  will post this year’s when it is available.). There are also many products through   Enjoy Life Foods www.enjoylifenb.com that cater to a variety of allergies and intolerances.
  • Pre-stock your Halloween bag with foods that are ‘legal’ for your child (and/or you) so that you can safely snack along the way.
  • Stash safe bags of candy at friend’s houses for your child.
  • Have a trade in. Your child can trade the “problem” candies and treats for “safe” treats, or games, prizes, special outings, etc. You can either stash the “problem” candy somewhere out of reach, or donate it to the foodbank.
  • Plan ahead!  When possible, look online for favorite candies and snacks and see if they are gluten-free.  Some treats that are normally gluten-free or allergen free have different ingredients in the special holiday versions, so always double check.
  • Gina Clowes of Allergy Moms has a great list and tips, too.
  • Celiac Family has a 2010 candy list.
  • Kids with Food Allergies has a great resource for safe Halloween activities, games, tips, etc.  Although it’s not directed at people avoiding gluten, a lot of the strategies are the same.
  • Here’s another list from Sure foods Living

Start planning ahead for the holidays:

I know it’s only October, but it’s a good time to start thinking about the holidays.  You can make life easier by just making sure you/your hostess gets a gluten-free brand of turkey or etc.

Farmer’s Markets:

Most are still open until November or December, so head on over and get some apples, pumpkins, kale and more!  Here’s info on the one closest to my Alex office:

The West End Farmers Market is open every Sunday from 9am to 1pm, rain or shine. Primarily producers-only, this farmers market in Ben Brenman park offers local, seasonal produce and products. This weekly event brings together hundreds of families and canine friends each week.

And check out this listing for others close to you.

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Harris Whole Health offers individual sessions, family sessions and group classes to help people eat healthier and feel better! Whether you are dealing with Celiac Disease, food allergies, picky eaters, children on the Autistic spectrum, chronic illness, or if you just want to feel and look better, Cheryl can help you achieve your goals. For an appointment with Cheryl Harris, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist, please click here or call 571-271-8742.

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