Check out day 1 in my video….and yes I am THAT silly to bring a batch of fresh baked sweet potatoes into my bedroom just to show you….must be all the oxygenating foods getting to my brain to make me do silly things!
See you tomorrow, when hopefully I have more energy.
If you want ot know how to cook collards, check out this post from my blogging past.
Hugs and health,
Rebecca
Hi there everybody,
for yesterday’s pre-cleanse moments, check out this video:
For today’s, read ahead
Today was a sad day. It was the day I left Matt in Davis (again) and came back to Oregon to begin the new year and get back to the business of daily life. We kicked off our morning with a trip to the Davis Food Co-op, where I proceeded to get massive food envy because the store is AMAZING. Its got all the benefits of Lifesource and Whole Foods without the killer price tags. We purchased kale, collards, avocados, cranberries, eggs, unsweetened almond milk, green apples and a few other cleanse-friendly food for Matt.
My meals started out great – some organic berries + sprouted grain cereal (no sugar!) and some granola (only 5 g sugar/serving). Then I went to the airport…
Sad to say good-bye to my man, I reluctantly headed to the Sacto airport. Strategically, I offered up my seat on the 12:10 flight in order to get a free travel voucher for another trip (we are going to a wedding in Hawaii and I am determined to make the airfare free in some way). This mean lunch at terminal B at SMF airport.
My options were baked goods at starbucks and Gordon Beirsch -a restaurant pub. I chose the pub and got a smoked Turkey Sanwich. Bad idea.
Airport food is not ideal for a girl with food sensitivities. I have leaky gut, and this means that my body is quite sensitive to food additives, especially those used to cure deli meats.
long story short, I’ve been nursing a massive headache and GI issues since 1pm today and I’m frustrated that I chose the sandwich over a pecan chicken salad. The salad looked dry and lacking in anything but romaine lettuce w/a few fixings, but I probably wouldn’t have a headache.
BTW, I took off 90% off the bread from my sandwhich so I know it was the meat. Oh well, I must sleep it off. I drank 1.5 liters of water at Trader Joes tonight while doing some pre-cleanse sgrocery shopping to help flush out the junk.
Needless to say, starting the detox tomorrow is perfect! I need it even more today.
Until tomorrow,
Rebecca
Hey gang,
Happy new Year! I’m here in Nor. Cal finishing up what has been a relaxing, family filled trip for New Year’s. My holiday season was filled with quiet nights, snow, baking, cooking and of course, EATING!!!
All this eating has left me feeling a little sluggish, as has the dark and wet Oregon weather. I must say, the California Sunshine in the Sierras today was mighty hard to leave.
So, now its time to rejuvenate my body and get back to full force off white living.
Instead of just blabbing away about it in text, I’ve decided to create a video record of what its like to do a cleansing diet. The first couple days are going to be about ‘pre cleansing’, which is just as important as the actual experience, because one must prepare mentally and physically to leave all the holiday goodies behind. It definitely takes work to be stringent, but I know that it helps my body feel sooooo much better and gives me a chance to undistract myself from food thoughts.
Here is Video #1.
Enjoy,
Rebecca
Good morning! This is what I woke up to today, as did many of you here in the Willamette Valley/Portland.
This past week we’ve been pelted with snow, rain, ice rain, and generally winter like conditions – and its still fall.
And what is the BEST thing to do when its snowy and cold……bake and cook, of course.
I’ve been doing both with a vengance and have created a few tasty off-white treats that I will share with you. Something about the serenity of the blanket of snow coating my world right now awakens my creativity in the kitchen. Naturally, Christmas provides many good reasons to break out the flours and sugars, and hopefully share some of the treats you concoct. If I can shovel my way out of the driveway, I too will share.
The second motivation for being creative in the kitchen right now has more to do with the economy and being resourceful. For instance, Matt and I found a recipe to make our own rice milk (see below) because the cost of a small container of rice milk is $2.29 and we can make the stuff for about 25 cents. Many people are looking for ways to save money on groceries and still eat well. More on that later too.
Okay, on to the recipes:
Chocolate peppermint Biscotti
This Recipe was motivated by the fact that I had purchased some candy canes (yes, white sugar -a special breach from Off-White) for a work event that did not occur due to weather. Hmm… what to do? I surveyed the contents of the fridge, and found a great recipe in Bob’s Redmill cookbook to modify. I chose to use coconut oil instead of butter, but I would suggest butter because the coconut makes the dough spread too thin. The log-shape you really want for biscotti just doesn’t quite happen with coconut.
2 cups of spelt flour (or whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup unrefined sugar
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) butter, melted and then cooled
1/2 + 1 tbsp crushed peppermint candy canes
In a large bolw, sift or whisk flours, baking powder and salt.
In another bolw, cream eggs with sugar, until light lemon-yuellow, then beat in the butter until blended. Add the candy cane and mix well. Stir in flour mixture until a dough forms. Cover the bowl and drefrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a baking sheet. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and shape into two 10″ logs. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Remove the logs from the oven and leave them on the sheet to rest for 10 minutes. Cut each log into 1/2 inch thick slices, return slices to baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn slices over and bake for another 2 minutes or until golden brown.
NOTE: make sure the candy cane pieces are totally crushed, as they will otherwise stick to the baking sheet!
Easy Falafels
We love ethic food. When its too cold and you can’t drive to get a tasty middle-eastern treat, you can make them at home. This method is both healthier and more cost effective than restaurant eating.
1 can organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 tsp each: cumin, coriander, turmeric
1 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
1 egg, beaten
flour for rolling the dough in (you can also use garbanzo bean flour for this)
oil and salt for cooking
In a food-processor, blend chickpeas, onion, garlic, slour, spices and cilantro for 30 seconds, or until well blended. Shape mixture into walnut size balls.
Heat 2-3 tbsp in a large skillet, making sure the oil does not smoke.
Place beaten egg in a shallow dish, and dip each ball into egg. Next, coat ball with extra flour.
Cook in the skillet with oil/salt (I use as little as possible and just turn the falafels frequently). Don’t let the falafel sit too long in the skillet, as it will burn.
Serves four, with about 4-5 falafels per person. I served mine over cooked collard greens, and drizzled with plain yogurt and curry sauce. YUM!!!
The final recipe does not come from me, but was in inspiration from Delicious Wisdom, another fabulous Whole Food Blog. We’ve been curious about making our own rice milk and almond milk, given their high price tags at the grocery store and how often we use them. Just now we tasted our final product and its not half bad…….. we didn’t have any vanilla (so much baking, I used it up) so its a little plain but will be great for baking and cooking:
1/4 cup of brown rice
4 cups water
1-2 tsp vanilla and/or small pinch of stevia
In a saucepan, bring rice to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add spices/flavor when cooking on simmer. Once simmered and rice is cooked thoroughly, blend on med-high in a blender for 1 minute. Let col and then strain in a cheese cloth or fine metal strainer until it obtains the consistency you prefer.
Enjoy and happy holidays!
Rebecca
Hahaha! I thought I’d throw a little holiday humor into the week, since my detox is a preventative measure against the gluttony of sweets, rich foods and holiday cheer that I might find myself tempted to partake in.
For those of you who are curious about whether or not the sugar cravings go away when you detox, I’m living proof that THEY DO!!!!!! But, not after experiencing what is known as the Herxheimer Reaction , which can make the detox process mighty unpleasant.
For instance, while today I awoke feeling energized, had NO cravings for anything at all, and had the energy to exercise at 6am (I teach a 6 am fitness class Tues/Thurs), yesterday I felt as thought I’d been hit by a truck. I wanted everything from peanut butter sanwiches to ice cream sudaes to giant burgers. All these wild craving were couple with a massive headache, back ache, and overall feeling of malaise. Yep, that is Herxheimer, for sure!
When the body detoxes, it pushes out ‘junk’ that was hidden in the cells, and that junk needs to be filtered through the body and eliminated. I also felt (and still do) wildly thirsty, as though I just can’t get enough water. My urine is dark, which tells me that I’m filtering lots of crud out through my kidneys. Thank goodness for all the beets, greens and the juice I made with A. yesterday. And thank GOD for avocados – I need some fat to get through this!!!
My plan is to stick with this until Thanksgiving, and then to be moderate in my choices. I’m in charge of the stuffing (gluten-free and full of veggies) and cranberry sauce (no added sugar), and we’ll have lots of other healthy stuff, but I’m still excited about the feeling of going into the holiday really ‘clean’, both in mind and body.
As the detox fog lifted last night I felt so good and clear that I journaled, read a book (which I usually only do when I’m going to bed) and watched two episodes of Sex in the City, season 5. A great night!
Okay, gotta get some work done, but I’ll leave you with this recipe for a juice that actually tastes okay. You need a juicer to make it.
1 bunch purple + 1 bunch green kale, washed and trimmed
two green apples, cut into small chunks (depending on your juicer)
1/2 cup of chopped ginger root
1 ‘square’ of Wheat Grass, wrapped up in the kale (take a few pieces of grass and wrap in the kale)
1 whole lemon, chopped
Slowly juice all the ingredients, blending the apples and the green. We found it helpful to add some greens and then push them through with the apple chunks. You can rejuice the pulp too, to get a little extra. This makes about 20 oz of juice, depending on your juicer. You can compost the pulp, make a bread with it (like zucchini bread) or give it to any animals that would eat this odd combo. It was actually tasty!
Ciao…..
Back by popular demand – more accounts of my trip to Italy. Believe me, I don’t need an excuse to blab about the exquisite trip that has left me longing for the mediterranean lifestyle.
See that picture of all the amazing gelatos – this is what is so great: I had yogurt and chocolate gelato and they tasted just like tart yogurt and 70% dark chocolate. No wonder a 1/2 cup (at 2.50 Euro, or $4) satisfied. The flavors were amazing.
Italy reminded me of one of my life’s dreams: to lose about 20 lbs, and then travel the world eating the BEST food and gaining it all back. Gelato would certainly contribute, though the fat content was much lower than ice cream and they really weren’t all that sweet (these two flavors anyway) all the time.
This is a photo from the walls inside the vatican museum. the art was amazing…and all that oogling made us hungry, so immediately after our 3 hr visit, mom headed to the pastry shop across the street, and bought this:
It was also coupled with a cannoli, but she devoured that so fast, I couldn’t get my camera out in time!
Funny thing about this picture. When Matt first moved into his home in Davis, his landlord (and art guy) had this EXACT same photo in the bathroom. I recall contemplating it and wondering what it was. When I visited Matt post Italy, I lit up, because I knew what it was: The Pantheon – a domed temple that continues to be the model of all models for creating Rotundas (Even our own Washington DC dome was modeled after this). PS: there is now a McDonalds 100 feet away from the Pantheon. Do you think the ancients foresaw that modern wonder standing along side their creation??
Who wouldn’t want to eat apples and pears from this adorable street-side store? Shops like this were sprinkled all over Italy. Mom and I enjoyed trying to communicate with the ‘limited English’ stern-faced old ladies who ran the show. They may not have spoken to us much, but they certainly knew how to slice and wrap fresh deli meats. It was heavenly to stop in daily to such a shop, buy some snacks and just listen to them chat on about the day. The grocery seemed like an Italian version of a knitting circle.
This is a town in the Cinque terre. The hike yielded amazing views but was not for the feign at heart. One town alone boasted a 382 stair climb (after over 1 hour of hiking) to get to the top of the town. i don’t even remember what I ate here, but I’m pretty sure that I devoured it and had some gelato to accompany whatever lunchtime treat I discovered.
Until next time, I’ll bid you ‘bona sera’ (Good night), and we’ll hop on the Italian memory train again soon! Next time, I’ll share some of my videos (they just take a long time to upload)
ciao
Today started out crummy,,….. my flu seemed to linger and I spent another day on the couch trying to mediate staff challenges at work while nursing my throat and stuffy nose……but it did make eating detox-style pretty easy. When I can’t taste anything, the allure of tasty food just isn’t there.
But, I got the BEST news today – my trademark application for OFF WHITE has been approved!!!! YEAH!!!!!!
This is a big step for me, because its part of my long term vision of creating an Off-White service that includes cookbooks, videos, TV shows (yeah, I dream big) and perhaps even product lines (how cool to see cookie dough made with spelt flour, organic eggs and turbinado sugar instead of the white junk).
I think I’ll go celebrate with a liver detox salad. Join me, its easy:
1 green apple
1 carrot
1 raw beet
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Chop the fruit/veg and then put all 3 + the vinegar in the food processor. Blend. Enjoy! Makes enough for about 3 moderate servings, which I will eat 1 serving/day during my detox. Its about the easiest thing for cleaning the liver, as it takes less than 5 minutes to make.
Ti’s the season to DETOX!!!
So my friend A. and I decided to do a little detox before the holidays so that we could walk into Thanksgiving feeling pretty good about our choices. Truthfully, after being derailed (in the BEST way possible) by my adventures in Italy and a visit to see Matt in California, its been a little hard to be as committed to wheat/dairy/refined sugar free living. Once my tongue gets a little taste, it’s ON, sister!
With what I term as “the eating season” just on the horizon, now is my chance to get my body a bit back into balance and reconnect with why I love off-white eating/living so much: I FEEL BETTER. My body has felt a little sluggish and my brain has also been a little less sharp b/c of the allure of the tasty white treats lately. And I can’t help but wonder if my little visit from aunt “FLU” (yes, FLU, not flow) was worsened because of less than idea food choices (why did they have to make pumpkin bars at work last week and put them in the fridge where my lunch sits….)
Thank goodness for A. because she will help me stay on track, and I will help her too! We are even co-house sitting for a mutual friend and have planned some fun “Cleanse Cooking” nights. Yes, we have a sick sense of fun, and thank GOD we have one another! If any of you have ever tried to eat a detox style diet (details to follow) you know how tough it can be to stay strong in the face of adversity, so having friend to do this with me helps A LOT.
Here’s the down and dirty of our detox diet, which will last between today (Nov 16th) and Thanksgiving (Nov 27th).
Sounds reasonable enough, right?? Well, already I’ve had to stare in the face of baking some apricot pecan chocolate bars with pomegranate glaze for an upcoming work event. I strategically planned on baking these bars today, on day 1, because I’m still fired up on this whole detox business, and I’m feeling pretty strong. I also made a wise choice of baking the bars after eating lunch (Mixed greens with tilapia and avocado) so I wasn’t hungry. Its amazing how avocado can almost taste like chocolate when I’m really imaginative……
So, when I was looking back through all of my handy-dandy little videos, I found a clip that I recorded when visiting Matt in Davis in Sept and its PERFECT, because its about cooking greens. So, here ya go!!! Enjoy and maybe it will inspire you to gear up for the holidays with a little abstinent eating. Just think about how much tastier those holiday treats will be after a cleanse – like a tall glass of water after a long day in the desert!!!
Enjoy!
PS: I make reference to some Himalayan sea salt but really it’s not actually sea salt….it’s from the himalayas, which are clearly different than the ocean….must have been the Davis heat going to my head 🙂
At last, my long awaited journey to Italy with my mom. What an amazing experience. I think I could go to Italy a million times and not do the same things twice: once just to take photos, once just to study art, once for fashion…and of COURE once (or more) just for the FOOD!!!!
There is no end of opportunities to experience the Italian Palate. Streetside bars (aka cafe’s), fine dining, quaint little corner markets with fresh produce spilling out into the streets, it just never ends. The food, in a word, is fabulous, although I did not find not ONE specific off-white delectable during my travels. Thank goodness I don’t need to eat gluten-free, or I think I’d be in trouble. The Italians have mastered the art of eating bread and cheese on a regular basis and balancing it with healthy doses of walking, climbing stairs and laughing to offset the nutritional challenges of such a diet.
There is so much to post about, I think what I’ll do is take you on a bit of a journey as it happened for me, with the pics and videos interweaved. It might just have to be more than one post, as I did spend much of my time and my film on off-white impressions and insights. So many good memories made that involved food and the culture of food. So, let’s begin….
INSIGHT #1: Learning what it means to have ‘enough’: This lovely pic exemplifies what became a typical breakfast for us: a coffee and a breakfast pastry. Yes, I did have white flour pastries for breakfast. Interesting phenomena: when the portions are small and the food is relatively expensive, the need for excess totally diminishes. Everything in Italy appears to be done with care, even the simple serving of your tiny coffee and breakfast roll. The sounds of the dishes clamoring, the smell of the coffee brewing – all of it helps nourish the soul so that the meal is appreciated. I related to my food more in Italy than I normally do, and found myself easily leaving 10-20% of my meal on the plate because I could connect with the notion of ‘enough’…… fabulous feeling, and more satisfying than any flavor is the sense of giving yourself just what you need and nothing more.
ON EATING LOCAL: one of my favorite things to do when I travel is to find the local markets and buy my fresh fruit and veggies for snacking on during the day. This impromptu market sets up a few days a week near the hotel we stayed at in Rome. The woman helping me was sweet and good humored as I fumbled with my Spitalian (spanish and italian blended together) to buy some bananas, apples and pears for the day. The produce was incredible, much like what we get on the west coast, but the pears were far superior – crisp, sweet and oh so fresh!!
ON LIFESTYLE: this is the exit from the Vatican museum. There may have been an elevator somewhere, but mostly this is your way out. Young and old alike must make their way down the spiral. It seemed that there was no shortage of opportunities to walk and go up and down stairs in Italy. How amazing to see elderly folks moving up steep hills, spiral staircases and generally speaking just walking around. I was once again reminded of the power of moving the body and how little we do in the US. Mostly we find ways to avoid moving. Our public places are more and more providing ways for us to avoid moving.
I began to notice as interesting benefit to moving around so much during my travels. There is something profound about keeping one’s body connected to the experiences of the mind. For instance, this staircase was a kinesthetic expression of art, as felt by my body having to navigate the spiral. It was unique, and made my body have to think, much in the same way that the art and historical sites made my mind have to think. …..it was kind of like doing a form of yoga the whole time 🙂
ON FINDING THE BEST PIZZA: This was the SECOND best pizza I ate in Italy. A morning of sites at the Vatican museum and walking around made mom and I mighty hungry. What I loved most is that this was a DAIRY free pizza, filled with colorful peppers and a lovely olive oil and tomato base. Absolutely divine, but still came in a close second to this fine creation:
ON SHARING: never have I felt so satisfied as when I finished half of this amazing Pesto pizza (WITH CHEESE) and Caprese salad (is there such a thing as too much mozzarella??) and then giving the second half to a group of young travelers on the train back from Monterossa (Cinque Terre) to Riomaggiore. It would have been really tempting for me to just devour the whole dang pizza, as I was immensely hungry by the time we ate that night. We’d hiked the Cinque Terre that day, which took us 6 hrs to get from Riomaggiore to Vernazza, and we cheated by taking the train to the 5th town, Monterossa. But, tuning into my body’s sense of satisfaction left me with something to share. This was THE BEST pizza of my whole life, and only cost 4 euro (by comparison we sometimes spent 3.80 Euro on a cappuchino).
ON EYE CANDY: no, not me…the town! Italy was full of ‘feasts for the eyes’. It seems like Italy does everything in an artful way, even the haphazard layout of these hillside towns becomes beauty. I love it how the Italians don’t seem overly obsessed with making things Uniform and unnatural. The environment was anything but sterile. It reminded me that perfection comes when we allow the realness of something (or somebody) to come through and express its true nature. I feel it is this that made me personally feel so at peace during my trip. I did not obsess on ANYTHING (and that is saying a lot for me because I’m somewhat of an obsessive person), not even what I was eating. Funny thing is, as I let go and just allowed my true nature to unfold, my portions were balanced, my choices were balanced, and I managed to lose a fe pounds, despite eating just about whatever i wanted (can we day ‘daily gelato habit’??). Ah…so this is the secret of the mediterranean lifestyle…….
ON ITALIAN FAST FOOD: this is Italian fast food: fresh made personal pizzas for you to grab on your way to work or during your lunchtime. These little pizzarias were everywhere, usually accompanied by an gelateria (gelato). Pizza choices included everything from your standard margherita pizza to tuna pizza. Cost ranged from 1 – 6 Euro, depending on the city. The only “fast food” joints we ever say were McDonald’s ( note to reader – when in Rome McDonald’s is the only place to use the bathroom for free. Expect lines):
ON RUNNING INTO SHOP TO TAKE A PICTURE OF A GIANT HAM: Apparently Tuscany must be known for its Prosciutto, as there was no shortage of giant ham wheels in storefront windows. At first mom and I were bedazzled by such a massive spread of meats, but after about the 10th Prosciutto shop in a row, we began to figure it out. This pic was definitely one of those “yes, I am a tourist” moments, but I was willing to sacrifice my ‘cool’ for some great shots for the blog 🙂
ON SHARING THE WHOLE THING WITH MY MOM: like a good meal, I believe that most good travels are meant to be shared. It was magical to spend this much time with my mom – something I hadn’t done since I moved out 14 yrs ago. She proved to be an amazing travel partner and totally up for the adventure, whatever that meant for the day. Like this day, for instance, which include a spontaneous journey up a 400 stair tower in the city center of Siena, Tuscany. The reward was amazing 360 views of the city and countryside around us…breathe-taking. She was also willing to put up with my never-ending desire to take pictures of food and make videos about food. She even took one for the team now and again with her willingness to be the silly tourist – snapping photos of gelato, pointing out fruits stands that would make for nice photos, and letting me document her endeavor to find a cup of coffee that measured up (in volume and taste, but mostly volume) to what she got at home. I feel blessed to have share the journey with her…..
More to come next post.
Ciao
Yesterday I shared what will be the last meal for a while with a very dear friend, B. I could actually credit the creation of this blog to her in part, as she has continuously inspired me and motivated me to go after what I really want most in this life.
So it was rather funny to me that our last meal together would be mac n’ cheese with broccoli for her and falafels with a side of greens for me; eating off of paper plates at a crowded bar in Whole Foods in the Pearl. So not what we expected, but that is what life gives you, isn’t it? We had shared a fabulous and amazing spa service at Aequis Spa downtown that morning as a treat before she heads off to Bali for 6 months. The “plan” was to have lunch at a little Tea cafe in Portland, which, after 30 minutes of driving around, we realized had been moved or shut down or something. Weary and hungry, we headed to the safest bet: Whole Foods, because they have parking and we know there would be plenty to fill our now very hungry stomachs (Body work always makes me ravenous – all that relaxation gets the stomach fired up, I suppose).
The whole experience got me thinking about how special sharing a meal can be with somebody. There is a reason so many of our social gatherings center around food. Its a gift to break bread with somebody and nourish the physical body while nourishing the soul with good conversation, laughter, sharing of dreams, etc. I know in many Eastern traditions they encourage eating in silence to stay fully connected with the food. While I respect that concept and agree with the idea behind it, its just too dang much fun to eat with others. I can’t imagine missing out on all the great conversations I’ve had over food. Some of the biggest news of my life has come to me over food. Some of the hardest good-byes, some of the job offer’s I’ve recieved, some of the most brilliant ideas, have come over a good meal, and I’d hate to miss that.
Sending B. off yesterday, belly’s full and hearts wide open, was a bittersweet moment. I know it will be a while until we are in physical space again, but she is in so much of what I do when I am working on Off White Living that, like most good friends, she is always with me. I’m so thankful for all the friends and loved ones I have to share my life and my food with, even if the meal is a motley mix of mac n’ cheese and falafels. Its certainly a meal I won’t forget………
Off White Living 