Show off your "Red" this Friday (2/3/12)

Be sure to wear something red on Friday in support of Go Red For Women, a national day to increase the awareness of heart disease among women.  It is a preventable disease with maintenance of healthy lifestyles and early detections.  The following link provides a summary of heart disease and women.  http://www.goredforwomen.org/about_heart_disease_and_stroke.aspx

In the spirit of saving--I made my own pizza

In the spirit of saving, I decided to make my own vegan pizza.  It turned out to be a veggie filled feast under 25 minutes!  I loved it and thought I would share my recipe.  Have fun with your own creations!

Veggie Lover's Pizza

Ingredients:
1 store bought pizza dough (I bought it from whole foods)
1/2 tablespoon of crushed basil
1 teaspoon of crushed oregano
1 tablespoon of crushed Italian seasoning
1/2 tablespoon of chopped garlic
1 can of diced tomatoes (seasoned with basil, oregano, and garlic)--drain out 1/2 of tomato juice
7 asparagus, rough cut
1/2 cup of frozen spinach
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts
Olive/Canola oil spray

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
2. Roll out the pizza dough with some flours to fit within the cookie sheet pan
3. Line the cookie sheet with foil and spray a thin layer of olive/canola oil on the foil
4.Put the rolled out dough onto the lined cookie sheet pan
5. Spray a thin layer of olive/canola oil on the dough
6. Use a spoon to spread out the diced tomatoes
7. Layer the asparagus on to of the tomatoes
8. Layer on the spinach and crushed nuts
9. Crush and mix all of the spices--Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, and garlic--together in a mixing bowl
10. Sprinkle the spices on top of the vegetables and cover the pizza dough
11. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of the crust

Excited about the new site I found

I am always on the look out to save some money.  My grocery bill has been on the rise due to many limitations to my diet.  I love it when I run into great deals!  Kroger in Houston had kale, collard greens, mustard greens, and asparagus on sale!  Kale, collard greens, and mustard greens were $0.59 each and asparagus was $1.88/lb.  In addition to my great finds in the grocery store, I stumbled across a site with great saving tips.  The site's name is Vegan Mainstream ( http://www.veganmainstream.com/taking-it-mainstream-extreme-couponing-for-vegans )!  Hopefully this will also help you maximize your savings.  Go out and save my friends.

Kale for Calcium

An average adult between 19-70 years old needs about 1,000 mg of calcium if you are male and about 1200 mg of calcium if you are female. Not many know this, but kale is a great source of calcium beyond milk/dairy products. 1/2 cup of cooked kale will give you about 47mg of calcium! Combining it with a root vegetable of the month--Jicama (loads of vitamin C), you can enjoy a refreshing and crunch filled dish. The following is one of my favorites.  All in one spring/summer dish. Enjoy!

All in one White and Greens--Quinoa, Jicama, Avocado, and Kale

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa, rinse

1 cup water

1 cup fresh kale, shredded (frozen version if you preferred)

1 large Jicama (1-1.5 lbs), peeled and cubed or julienned

1/3 cup chopped yellow onion

2 avocados (ripe), pitted, sliced, and peeled

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash seasoning (I use garlic & herb)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon Bragg

1/4 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa with water according to package direction (usually about 15 minutes on reduced heat).

2. Cut Jicama in 1/2 first and then cubed/julienned.

3. Add Jicama, kale, and onion into quinoa.

4. Whisk balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Mrs. Dash seasoning, sea salt, and Bragg.

5. Add the seasoning mixture into qunioa and vegetables.

6. Serve in a bowl and add the sliced avocado on top and sprinkle on chopped nuts.

Makes about 4 servings.

Do you crave savory or sweet foods in the morning?

I recently completed a 3-day food diary myself to evaluate my own eating patterns. Yes, you might think I am a "nutrition nerd", but I found the tool to be very helpful when I want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. By looking at my food diary, a very interesting pattern emerged!

I found that if I eat something sweet in the morning (e.g. oatmeal with fruits and nuts or cereals) I recorded eating salty snacks couple hours later. With my 2012 goal of maintaining a healthy weight, I decided that I would switch to eating savory items in the morning. To my surprise, my mid-morning cravings stopped! I no longer need anything between breakfast and lunch. The following is a savory oatmeal recipe I love. Hopefully you will enjoy the recipe as well. May you continue to celebrate your big and small successes in 2012!

Oatmeal for Savory Lovers

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup of Steel cut oats/ 1-Instant oatmeal packet (original flavor)
1 cup of mixed vegetables (whatever you like)
1/4 cup of nuts (raw walnut, almond, or cashews)
1/2 tbsp of olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook the oats according to directions on the package.
2. Saute mixed vegetables and nuts together with olive oil
3. Combine oatmeal, mixed vegetables, and nuts

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Other additions:
1. For vegetarians, you can add cheese and egg (hard boiled or sunny side up).
2. For non-vegetarians, you can add ground turkey/chicken or chicken sausage/turkey bacon to the mixed vegetables.

MICHAEL & SUSAN DELL CENTER for HEALTHY LIVING: How do you eat an elephant?

I agree with Kelli 100%. It does take one bite at a time!
MICHAEL & SUSAN DELL CENTER for HEALTHY LIVING: How do you eat an elephant?: Hi, I am Kelli Drenner, a 2009 graduate of the UT School of Public Health and former employ of the MSD Center. I am so glad to be back in...