A Cynfully Good 2012!

In just a few short days we will say good bye to 2011 and usher in a brand new year!  2012 brings the promise of change, hope, and opportunity. We can forget the old year and all the failures and mistakes of the past. A new year means a new beginning. We are getting closer to accomplishing our dreams and goals.  We can restructure our lives, get rid of the old baggage and completely start over again.

I have big goals and dreams for my life in 2012.  I also have high hopes for my consulting practice in the new year. I expect to grow in leaps and bounds and reach more people than ever before. This means, I can't keep doing the same old thing I did last year.

If you want change, you have to mix things up a little!

I receive emails and messages from folks all over the globe. Their major concerns are: the high cost of healthy eating, the threat and fear of cancer, permanent weight loss, reversing heart disease and diabetes, and pros and cons of a plant-based diet. 

 It makes sense to me that those are the areas on which I should focus in 2012, So in the coming year, you can look forward to:

A Return to Basics:

The cost of food is steadily rising!  I don't know how folks can afford to feed their families.  Eating healthy is so difficult for those on tight budgets. And these days, who isn't on a tight budget?  I will focusing on ways to stretch your dollar by getting back to the basics of eating REAL food made from scratch at home! I will also be sharing tips and techniques that grandma used back in the day: canning, freezing, stocking the pantry, meal planning, tranforming leftovers into magnificent dishes, shopping locally, seasonally, and more. This year it's all about a "waste-not-want-not" attitude!

Cancer Prevention: This has always been a concern of mine but now that cancer has touched my family personally, it's no longer a concern--it's my mission to help stamp it out before it happens!  I don't ever want to see anyone suffer from this disease or from the awful side-effects of chemotherapy. Prevention is key and what we taste, smell, see, hear, and touch has everything to do with it!

Veganism as a way of life: I firmly believe a plant-based diet is best, but this year I will be driving it home and promoting it as a way of life for everyone and not just those who wish to dabble in it!  It's time to get serious! A vegan diet can prevent and reverse obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.  If you are serious about disease prevention, losing or maintaining your weight, or achieving true health and wellness, it's time to change the way you eat!

Of course, I will still be posting delicious recipes--all vegan, all natural, and all guilt-free! I will also continue to share and write about gadgets, food, books, beauty products, and anything else I stumble upon that promotes a healthy, balanced, cruelty-free life.

As always, I am available for individual consultations. I see clients in person and also work with them over the phone or via the Internet. I want 2012 to be your best year ever!

May peace, love, and good health be yours in the coming New Year.

Cynthia

Hearty Cauliflower Chowder

photo from http://www.yumuniverse.com/

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing the praises of SOUP!

Soup is warming, healing, and so easy to prepare. Serve soup as a meal (with warm, crusty french bread or rolls) or as a prelude to a magnificent dinner.  Enjoy it between meals to help curb your appetite.  Bring homemade soup to a sick friend or give it away as a gift from the heart.

No matter how you serve it, soup is perfection. A simmering pot of homemade soup on the stove fills your home with the delicious aromas of comfort and love.

You just can't get that from soup in a can!

Here's a lovely soup I stumbled upon in my travels: Hearty Cauliflower Chowder. If you happen to have cauliflower in the house, you can make this soup today. I saw the recipe this morning and already made it- it's that quick and easy!  It's completely VEGAN, deliciously thick, and glorious. I kept some aside for later and the rest I placed in the freezer.  I had to do that to keep from sampling this soup all day long!

My digital camera is on the "fritz" so I borrowed the soup photo from the original site.

Here's the recipe: Hearty Cauliflower Chowder. 

While you're there checking out the recipe, take a few minutes to snoop around the YumUniverse website. You will really enjoy it. :)

Survive Holidays and Beyond......A Few Cynfully Good Tips!

This is the first time since I started my consulting practice that I haven't been sharing a continuous flow of the latest and greatest tips and recipes to help you survive the Holiday Season without compromising your weight loss or wellness efforts. Every recipe I post here, I attempt first in my own kitchen. Honestly, I just don't have the time to do all that right now.

At first, I felt like a failure and a bit of a let-down to my fans but punishing myself really profits no one- especially NOT ME! It doesn't diminish the fact that I am faithful and dedicated to providing a necessary service. It simply means I am being faithful and dedicated in other areas of my life and the lives of my loved ones.

This doesn't stop me from thinking of you nor does it mean I am not ready, willing and able to offer my opinions, advice or services. I still own and operate a thriving Nutritional Consulting Practice and meet with clients regularly. But my time is so limited these days and will become even more so when the New Year arrives. This means I will be posting here on this site less often. I do promise what I do post will be grand, tested, tried and true!

You already KNOW what to do! You already KNOW how to eat! It's simply a matter of transferring that knowledge from your head to your heart and soul.  Good health becomes a daily practice when it truly becomes a part of you- body, mind and spirit!  

I would like to take a moment now and offer a few healthy strategies to help you survive the holidays. These are nothing new but I can guarantee that if you apply these simple tips, you will sail through the season peacefully, lovingly, and without completely sabotaging your health or weight.

1. Your body is a temple. Treat it with tenderness, love and respect.

2.  Alcohol is toxic. Go easy on the booze and never, ever drink and drive! Don't let your friends drink and drive, either.

3. Give yourself a day or two of grace and EAT!  It's okay to indulge a little. Enjoy your favorite holiday treats and dishes. Have a cookie (or two), a piece of pie, or a second helping of mashed potatoes. Monday,  get right back to your healthy eating plan- no exceptions, no excuses!   And NO BEATING YOURSELF UP for what you did eat over Christmas. That's a sure-fire way to keep packing on the pounds right straight through 'til springtime. GRACE. Learn the word and practice it.

4. Don't stress over the things you didn't get done. Focus on the things you accomplished and give yourself a nice pat on the back. And don't forget to compliment and acknowledge others.

5. Simplicity is always best. Keep it simple. Simple decorations, simple gifts from the heart, simple gift wrapping, simple food.

6.  Give yourself permission to laugh, hug, cry, sing Christmas Carols at the top of your lungs, and to say "I love you". Give others permission to do the same.

7.  Sneak in some exercise. Dance, jog, do yoga, take the stairs, walk, play football. If you are lucky enough to have a White Christmas this year- get outside and play in the snow.

8. The greatest gifts you can give to others are  love, grace, generosity, and forgiveness.

9.  Be thankful. Shift the focus from what you don't have on to what you do have. 

10. Be true to yourself and let others see who you truly are. Be genuine, be real, be true to your own personal convictions, dreams and ideas. This is the greatest gift you can give to yourself.

May you be blessed beyond measure this holiday season with gifts that money cannot buy.

Merry Christmas!

Vegan Soul Kitchen- Down Home Recipes with a Twist

I know I've been MIA lately.  My schedule has been crazy between doctors' appointments with dad, work, the holidays, and preparing to go back to school this January. In my spare time--this is what I've been up to:

Reading this awesome cook book cover to cover and cooking!

In my house, we all seem to be craving comfort food and my dad, who is currently battling cancer, has pretty much lost his appetite from chemotherapy. On those occasional days when he is actually hungry, he asks for some of the good, old-fashioned Southern dishes he remembers from his childhood.

This cook book has it all but with a twist- it's good down-home cooking done healthy and vegan!

Vegan Soul Kitchen

Stay tuned. I will be posting recipes in the coming New Year!

Peace and Love,
Cynthia

The Best, Healthiest Mashed Potatoes EVER!

I love potatoes. They're so versatile, healthy, filling and cheap! Potatoes are rich in fiber, Vitamin-C, B-complex and minerals like potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.  Despite popular belief, potatoes are good for you and a necessary part of a healthy diet.

What really matters is how you prepare potatoes and what you mix in them or what you choose to pile on top of them!

Skip the deep-fryer. Bake your own homemade fries instead.  And forget all that butter, sour cream, bacon and melted cheese on top of baked potatoes. Yes, I know it's delicious but you're just eating fat on top of fat!  End result: all that fat makes you fat! No doubt about it.

My favorite way to eat a potato is baked or boiled. I slice the potato in half and pile it high with tossed green salad mixed with balsamic vinaigrette.  YUMMY!  Sometimes, I will top a baked potato with steamed, chopped broccoli and occasionally some melted vegan cheese. That's a whole dinner for me.

So what about everyone's favorite - mashed potatoes? They're usually prepared with loads of butter and cream. So delicious, but you can pretty much forget all those great health benefits. Reserve mashed potatoes for special occasions!

Or.....you can make mashed potatoes MY WAY!

I serve mashed potatoes very often to my son because they're filling. He loves them!  The best part--my mashed potatoes are VEGAN.  Not an animal product in sight. :)

Here's what you need: (this recipe will serve about 5 -6 people)

4 large organic potatoes, scrubbed well (peeled or unpeeled- your choice. I NEVER peel potatoes), and cut into quarters. They will cook faster and will be easier to mash if you cut them up.
salt
3 or 4 cloves of quick roasted garlic (instructions to follow)
Several sprigs of fresh rosemary
a dash of olive oil
organic vegetable broth
freshly ground pepper

1.Sprinkle the potatoes very lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Break off the individual pieces of rosemary and toss those over the potatoes and mix very gently.  Take a large pot with a lid, add about a cup and a half of water. Place your potatoes in a steamer basket and add to the pot of water. Cover, bring the water to boil, reduce heat and allow the potatoes to steam for about 20 - 30 minutes. You want the potatoes nice and soft so they're easy to mash- but you don't want them to fall apart and you don't want the water in the pot to evaporate. Check them often as they steam and add more water as needed.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, quick roast your garlic by spreading individual, un-peeled cloves evenly on a cookie sheet, drizzle with oil, and bake about 30 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally, until soft. Roast a bunch of garlic cloves. If you store them in a sealed container in the fridge, they will keep for 3 days.  Roasted garlic is delicious spread on toast, freshly baked bread, mixed with vegan mayo for sandwich spreads, or added to salad dressings.

3. Remove steamed potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl.

4. Take 3 or 4 of the roasted garlic cloves. You can add more if want your potatoes really garlicky. Gently squeeze the garlic out of their skins right into the pot of cooked potatoes. Discard the skins.

5. Start mashing. I like  rustic-looking mashed potatoes, so I just use a fork to do this.  A potato masher works well, too.

6. Add a bit of the vegetable broth to the potatoes for extra moisture while mashing them. Just add a little at a time. You don't want watery potatoes.

7. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Another great variation is to simply toss your raw, quartered potatoes gently with a bit of olive oil, season with salt, pepper and the rosemary and roast them in the oven until soft, but not browned. Then, you can mash them. Roasted mashed potatoes are also SO good!

If you really want your mashed potatoes creamier, substitute the vegetable broth with a bit of vegan creamer, or even vegan cream of mushroom or potato soup. I love using the vegetable broth, however, because other than the small amount of olive oil, my mashed potatoes are virtually fat free!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you all a Cynfully Good Thanksgiving................

Sixty Second Fruit Salad!

This is my favorite treat when I have an after dinner sweet craving.  Tropical Fruit Salad!  I even love this instead of dessert or as a quick breakfast!

This is so delicious. And it literally takes less than a minute to prepare. At about 70 calories for 1/2 a cup, it's guilt-free. It's naturally sweet and good for me.

Here's what I do:

I open a can of Native Forest Organic Tropical Fruit Salad, and pour about one half a cup into a wine glass. I add a bit of the juice the fruit is packed in, as well. Most of the time, I toss in a few almonds, too. The almonds increase the calories a bit but not by much. Almonds add a nice crunch and protein, vitamins and minerals. If I have shredded coconut on hand, it makes this even more tropical and delicious.

I very rarely use canned goods but here's my logic: when I want a treat, it has to be quick and simple. It's so easy to open a bag of chips, reach into the cookie jar or help myself to a slice of pie.  I could make my own fresh fruit salad.  It would be much healthier but I don't always have the time to do that. All that peeling, cutting, slicing, and mess? Forget it!  Who wants to get involved with all that, especially when a snack attack hits?  There are times when it is justifiable to use canned products and this is certainly one of those times. I always keep several cans of tropical fruit salad in my pantry.

If you can't find an organic brand and don't want to order it on-line, buy conventional tropical fruit salad. Tropical fruit salad is different than regular fruit cocktail. Read the labels and look for cans that only contain fruits that have thick peels like pineapple, mango, papaya, and watermelon.  And make sure it's packed in juice.  You don't want fruit in heavy syrup or sugar-free. Sugar-free means artificially sweetened!

Enjoy!