I used to be one crazy baker back in the day. My favorite things were chocolate chip cookies (my special recipe), pumpkin bread and lots of other fruity breads (banana, berry, etc). I've got all kinds of silpats, a butter yellow Kitchen-Aid stand mixer, and all manner of colorful bowls and rubber scrapers.
One day (a very long time ago) my oven went on the fritz and I took an unexpected hiatus from baking. I've had a working oven for a while now and have been using it for lots of roasting and other radiant heat goodness, but no sweet baked treats.
Enter my very first CSA delivery of the season, and the rhubarb that came with it. Rhubarb! Oh boy did I want to make an ooey-gooey sweet treat with some rhubarb. After a little googling in search of vegan, gluten-free, low sugar delights made with rhubarb, I came across this recipe from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen:
Gluten-Free, Vegan Rhubarb Muffins!
Besides rhubarb, the recipe uses sorghum & tapioca flour (gluten-free), fresh squeezed orange juice and orange zest, plus a nice amount of cardamom. They are sweetened with apple sauce and I chose to use agave nectar. The recipe recommends putting turbinado sugar on top of the muffins to get that crispy crunchy topping, but I skipped it (still avoiding sugar). Using fresh, local, tart rhubarb was absolutely delicioso!
I've got a ton of bizarre ingredients now, so first I'm going to recreate these muffins and continue to experiment with gluten-free baking adventures!
Delicious cupcakes from Flying Monkey Patisserie
I've been meaning to follow up about the detox diet I posted about a few weeks ago. I feel like I've already had so many conversations with friends where I 'fessed up that I didn't make it the full 21 days. I did, however, make changes that I think are here to stay. Yes, those are cupcakes, and yes, I did eat 1/2 of one at a family party 2 weeks ago!
Regarding the official detox: no alcohol, sugar, dairy, gluten, caffeine (and I must be forgetting something), I definitely stuck to it for 2 weeks. The first week was way harder than I imagined. I am fortunate enough to have a nice kitchen with all of my favorite kitchen implements and a juicer to keep me going. I did have a pretty decent headache for a few days, which is an extremely rare occurrence for me. It was a strange reminder that the body has a way of communicating with you when things go awry. The headache did go away and by the end of the first week, I was really feeling the difference.
Since caving in, I've been a little less strict about the choices I make, but I'm really trying to adhere to as much as I can. I have a massive addiction to soy chai lattes, which I have essentially cut out. Yes, I've had a few here and there. Without going into details, Murphy's Law brought in this unbelievably stressful situation having to do with my house smack dab in the middle of the detox. Talk about finding inner strength. Thankfully, the worst has passed, but I'll admit, I treated myself to a soy chai latte or two during this time :)
I'm also an incredible fan of dairy. I adore eating plain yogurt with granola or fruit for breakfast (not anymore) and one of my most favorite things to create is a beautiful cheese platter. Don't even get me started on aged gouda. Yum. My family is big into the cheese & crackers, and I've seen them a few times over the past month or so. We show up with gluten free crackers and spicy hummus and all is well. And for breakfast? My new favorite is raw almond butter on a thin cake (made with quinoa, corn & sesame).
What I've thought a lot about since making these choices is how difficult it can be to eat out with these restrictions. And I might add, I don't think they are restrictions. Basically, eat more veggies! That's supposed to be simple! Not so much. It's hard to grab a snack somewhere without it being covered in cheese or wrapped in bread.
Essene Market & Cafe
Thankfully there is the amazing & almost entirely vegan (save for the occasional egg or honey) cafe at Essene Market & Cafe in Queen Village. I've definitely been visiting a lot more lately for a meal or a snack. I will always owe any interest I have in food & healing to them, as I learned so much during the years I worked there during college. Quite possibly, one of my favorite places in Philly!
So maybe I wasn't hardcore enough to be unwavering in my 21 day detox, but what I've decided to grab onto instead is an entirely new philosophy of eating. I've been vegetarian (and recently slightly pescatarian) for over 15 years at this point, but I was still eating more crap than I needed to. Paying attention to, reducing, or even better eliminating the amount of sugar & dairy that goes into your body is probably one of the most significant things you can do to see a real change in your body and mind. If you're up for it, remove gluten for a few weeks and see if that feels any different. Coffee nut? How about trying to commit to 2 weeks without. The first week will suck big time, but how about the dream of waking up and actually feeling awake?
Just as in life, most of us are in a constant state of improvement and growth. Embrace it and always be open to more. Live with a beginner's mind. Surprise yourself. Conquer one thing and move onto the next. Share your experiences, but more importantly, savor them. You are what you eat! Change the recipe.
I dunno, is it? On my recent detox journey, I've been making a conscious effort to avoid the stuff. It's not easy. The obvious product to avoid is bread. That's cool, I don't eat sandwiches that much. Next, pizza. Boy howdy, I love me some pizza, but it's loaded with lots of that awesome dairy stuff as well. No dice.
Gluten is sort of everywhere. While I've actually been using tamari soy sauce for a while, I used to be a huge fan of shoyu - which is unfortunately brewed with wheat. Tamari is not. As a vegetarian, another one of my favorite meat substitutes is seitan, pronounced SAY-tan, not Satan, not the devil (or is it?). I have a way I like to prepare seitan using lots of butter, shallots, black pepper and red wine. Whoah, Nelly, that does not belong on the detox diet, but my sister said it tastes just like steak. I'll bet it does!
Recently, I was at the salad bar at Whole Foods and I was so disappointed that so many of their perfectly vegan salads had shoyu in their dressing. WHY? They are actually a company that is so great about clearly marking gluten free items on their shelves and they even have a full on gluten free bakery. I visited another Whole Foods in a different state today and had much better luck, they even used cider vinegar which is another topic, but still really awesome.
As I soak up new information about nutrition through some of the books and blogs I have been reading, especially the raw foods stuff, I'm amazed at how much more interesting a diet that is more plant-based can be. I mean, I know this stuff. I've been veggie for a long, long time, but it's so easy to eat cereals, breads, baked goods and other things that are loaded with gluten. Focusing on eliminating or avoiding gluten is another nudge towards upping the number of veggies on your plate.
Beer is great, but it's got gluten in it!
Just to clarify, gluten is not just found in wheat. It's also in kamut, spelt, barley, rye, malts, BEER (whomp whomp) and triticale. Ever seen the word "dextrin" on your ingredients list? That's got gluten in it, too. In fact, chances are you won't recognize or be able to identify most of the long list of ingredients on packaged processed foods. I'll admit, I'm no pro at that, but making your own stuff or buying products where you do actually recognize all the ingredients are sure fire ways to avoid things you may not want in your diet.
There are still lots of great grains and grain-like things to enjoy if you're going gluten free. Whole Foods stocks lots of gluten free pastas that are made with brown rice, corn and quinoa. I've been trying out a few different blends and I'm on the fence. I think they take practice so that you don't end up with a big old gummy mess. I eat them on my lazy nights or when I just can't stand another bowl of the trusty superfood, quinoa.
As a cracker hound, I've been happy to find some awesome selections out there. My favorite, first tasted with family friends in Santa Barbara, is Mary's Gone Crackers Onion Crackers. We have also been enjoying Back to Nature's multi-seed gluten free crackers. Dunk in some hummus or a freshly made dip and you're golden. If you're eating dairy, a nice spread of goat cheese would also taste nice.
Other gluten free grains include amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats (look for oats that are clearly marked gluten free), brown rice, sorghum, teff and wild rice. I can imagine a million different grain pilafs and salads that you can make with these goodies. I haven't done it yet, but I hear that you can make lots of raw treats with buckwheat and wild rice. I'm working my way towards it, not there just yet.
I read the choicest quote today from the chef / owner of famed vegan restaurant Horizons explaining why he's shutting the doors on his esteemed restaurant and starting fresh with a new concept that relies a little less on gluten:
“Vegetables are where all of our creativity is right now,” Landau said. “The grilled seitan has not changed in seven years. It’s like our “Stairway to Heaven,” but vegetables are really where my passion is now. I’m not saying no to seitan at the new place, I just don’t want be known as the guy who puts a big slab of wheat gluten on a plate.”
Read the article in its entirety on GrubStreet Philadelphia.
Going gluten free, or even mostly gluten free is an adventure. I think everyone should try it for a few weeks and listen to what their body tells them. I'm sure it's something new that you haven't heard before.
About a million years ago, my sister and I got my mom the Champion juicer for her birthday (or was it Mother's Day?) The gift was my idea, naturally, as I was getting hooked on all the carrot juicey goodness I was experiencing at the health food store I worked at during college. Of course, I was the one who wanted the juicer, and wouldn't you know, my mom ended up passing it on to me eventually. I've mostly been storing it in my basement, but I dug it out last week and it works perfectly.
The current 21-day detox recommends starting the morning with a green juice of cucumbers, broccoli stems, celery, romaine, what other green goodies you have on hand, plus an apple or a pear for sweetness. Basically, the ratio is 3-4 veggies to one piece of fruit. I've been tossing in a lemon wedge and a small piece of ginger root as well. It's been heavenly.
I honestly never thought I'd juice a piece of romaine lettuce or a broccoli stem, but I've been incredibly surprised with the taste. It's so refreshing and a perfect way to start your morning.
Just over a week ago, I decided to do something crazy. How crazy you ask? Depends on your relationship with coffee, meat, cheese, cookies, beer, wine, etc.
For 21 days, I have signed up to remove all traces of caffeine, dairy, sugar, gluten, alcohol and animal products from my diet. Before I began, I was really quiet about it and I didn't tell many people. I didn't want to fail. I mean, I was sure I would fail. It just seemed like it would be too hard. But here I write from Day 9 and I'm totally hangin' in there and feeling pretty good about it. Guess I'm not out of the woods yet!
The first week has been an absolute culinary adventure and has really started shifting the way I look at food. I'm actually really enjoying the experience and looking forward to creating some new good habits as a result.
The inspiration for this detox comes from Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet. I wasn't looking for a diet book when I stumbled upon her book. I kept seeing it at Whole Foods and thinking "What's up with that book? What's so Crazy & Sexy about it?" Mind you, I'm not trying to be too crazy or sexy, but I am really very extremely (yes really) interested in food and healing.
Kris' original gift to this world was a documentary called Crazy Sexy Cancer (which I haven't seen). She suffers from a rare form of cancer that is untreatable. That is, no chemo, no radiation, just lots of wait and see. She, like many other wellness warriors out there, decided to take matters in her own hands and educate herself in the ways in which diet can improve your total health. She doesn't stop there either, she's got a lot of ideas about incorporating meditation into your daily life as well as many other tips & tricks to give your life a giant shot in the arm.
I celebrated my last night of freedom by weaning myself off a wine hangover from the night before and enjoying a big old bowl of drunken noodles from my local Thai delivery joint. I savored all that gooey noodley gluteny goodness, knowing that my life was about to become an austere prison of vegetables. I couldn't have been more wrong. After just one week, I like to think that my life has become a vibrant, colorful menagerie of fruits, veggies and leafy greens!
I hope to follow up with some posts featuring more of the play by play / day by day stuff, but I thought I'd share some of my favorite snacks and meals from the first week so you could get some idea of the yummy foods one can eat while on a restricted diet. I don't feel restricted at all, I feel empowered!
Any links below go right to a photo of that dish, to see an overall set of images from last week, check out the detox! set on flickr.
corn/quinoa/sesame thin cakes with raw almond butter
celery sticks and miso cilantro white bean dip
butter lettuce salad with shallots, sunflower seeds and raw apple cider vinaigrette
spicy ginger lime braised tempeh
gluten-free angel hair with cilantro pesto
lemon garlic roasted brussel sprouts
lots and lots of GREEN juice featuring cucumber, celery, romaine, apple, pear, ginger
coconut chickpea curry
collard green wraps filled with caramelized onions, sweet potatoes, black beans & corn
Thankfully, I have a special buddy on this adventure with me, which makes it all the more fun. We're cookin' up a storm over here, so look us up if you're hankering for a healthy meal!
Laughing Lotus Yoga School Teacher Training Graduation, May 2005
I've been doing yoga on and off for nine years now. By on and off I mean that I'm either fully immersed in it (and loving every second), or I've fallen into a lazy pattern where I'm longing for it but not doing it. I'm sure there are many things we wish we were doing, but aren't, for whatever reason. Excuses are easy to come by.
Returning to practice has been slow, but steady. It's definitely not a question of soreness or loss of flexibility. It's all in there, written deep into my muscle memories. The interesting part has been acceptance. I was part of a very intense and vibrant yoga community in NYC and have not found its match in my current locale. I've thought that many of the studios I have tried here are not hard enough, not sweaty enough, not challenging enough...
But I realized that none of those things are true. Yoga isn't always exactly what you want it to be. The only consistent thing in your yoga practice (and let's face it, in your life) is YOU. You're the one who is bringing whatever you are bringing onto your mat every time you roll it out. Bringing negative emotions and missed expectations won't improve your practice nor will it encourage you to keep trying.
After my last post about finding and creating community, I couldn't help but draw parallels between the two. If I really think that "just showing up" is important, then I better have that attitude about yoga as well. I've found that the more I show up, the easier it is to let go of my expectations of how I think it's supposed to be. I can feel the resistance begin to break up and reveal new sensations: openness, curiosity, flexibility, adventure!
I find that most yoga classes have lessons in them if you are open to it. This morning was no exception. A typically busy Saturday morning class was presented with new challenges when we had to practice in the smaller of the two studios. A great example of real world collaboration is watching yogis make space for a few more mats in a packed room. It's pretty amazing how there's always just enough room. If you've ever done yoga, you know that the physical practice of yoga is also often about discovering space that you didn't realize was there.
The words that we began class with are what inspired this post in the first place. I think the rushed mat moving and craziness diverted the teacher's intention a little bit, in a good way. She asked us, what does yoga mean? A few people responded with "union" (the literal translation), uniting the mind and body, getting the mind out of the way, etc. The words we landed on that stuck with me were "here" and "now".
TEDxPhilly t-shirt. Design by Sean Martorana, Photo by Kevin Monko.
As I'm currently in a period of reflection and transition, I couldn't help but think about how that's where last year's theme for TEDxPhilly came from. Right Here, Right Now was actually a modified version of Being Present -- being in the here and now. Funnily enough, the visual representation of our theme was two right arrows, each above the words Here and Now. If you didn't catch the cleverness of the right arrows (Sean Martorana is a very clever designer!) then you saw it as Here and Now, which in itself, is something.
If you are anything like me, here and now is a place you don't often frequent. Sometimes I think I spend too much time looking back or looking ahead, but definitely not spending enough time in the here and now. It's quite a different picture. My yoga practice is just part of the adventure, writing this blog post is another.
So if I said the other day to just show up, today I'm suggesting (mostly to myself), enjoy the present moment. Take it all in, look at it, laugh at it, and just be all up in it.
Enjoy.
The vibrant community of TEDxPhilly, photographed by Kevin Monko of Monkophoto.
Earlier this week I was given the opportunity to share my experience with TEDxPhilly at an Innovation & Entrepreneurship class at UArts. When first asked by the wonderful Hilary Jay of DesignPhiladephia, I hesitated. Public speaking is not my comfort zone at all, and organizing TEDxPhilly this year was pretty damn challenging on many levels. What would I talk about? How would I close with a message of positivity? I was unsure how to proceed.
Before I go too much further, I want to say that Hilary gets it. DesignPhiladelphia is an amazing 10 day event that descends on Philadelphia each October, showcasing incredible design talent in the community, through exhibits, lectures, open studios and more. I'm in complete awe of the annual undertaking. The truth is, I reached out to Hilary independently, because when I see people pulling off such meaningful events, I want to reach out to them and ask - how do you do it!?
So back to class, back to this presentation. I was thinking about winging it and just riffing on the experience, but I realized it was a good opportunity to sit with it and think about it. I've had a canned answer for how things went, how I pulled it off (with an amazing group of volunteers), etc, but this was my chance to tell a story of how I got there and where I am today.
This is how the story goes…
In the Spring of 2007, I came upon a group of likeminded individuals -- web developers, designers, and generally enthusiastic people who wanted to change things up a bit in Philadelphia. Tired of the same old same old, you need to do things in this order, etc. While we ultimately all became great friends, this was also one of the first professional communities I had ever been a part of. Need design inspiration? Check. Wanna get that WordPress question answered? Check. And so on and so forth. I always found this group to be very welcoming and everyone had something to contribute. And if you didn't, you thought of something. That's how it worked.
It was this group that gave me the guts to co-organize the first BarCamp Philly in the fall of 2008. It was a very pivotal moment for me. Oh hey, turns out I like this community organizer thing. BarCamp Philly gave way to Refresh Philly which gave way to UX Book Club Philly and ultimately my largest project to date: TEDxPhilly. Each project had different requirements, different community overlaps, different stresses and rewards.
One of the best thing to come out of TEDxPhilly from my perspective was that it was the most diverse audience I had ever created an event for. Young, old, professional, student, musician, artist, scientist, nonprofit, corporate, techie, luddite, the list goes on. The TED brand is very powerful and draws people out the of the woodwork. That's why I wanted to bring it to Philadelphia -- to help people discover new people and projects and get inspired again!
So what was the message I wanted to leave with these students? It was simple and this is how I put it:
Find community
Create community
Have fun (the most important thing)
Pass it on
When asked, "how do you find community?" I said this… Just show up. That's the first step. Inevitably there's going to be someone else there who is also there for the first time, and better yet, someone that's there to welcome you and learn more about you and your interests.
Maybe you ultimately decide you want to start your own community project -- figure out how to do it, either dive right in, or ask someone you look up to how they went about it. Learn from your mistakes, and share them with others.
Make things happen. Don't complain, just do. We're all in this together.
Recent Comments