Points to Ponder

In search of the finest guacamole in all of Jalisco

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Mexico is turning out to be such a foodie dream come true. Sure, there are fine restaurants (we’ve eaten at a few, like La Palapa in Puerto Vallarta). But that is not where the real essence of fine cuisine lives, in my mind.

The real essence of Mexico’s food is found in much more humble places, like the pueblos and small cities that surround Banderas bay and are home to some fine people, and fine foods…..like guacamole.

Thank goodness every restaurant we visit serves guacalome, usually accompanied by shrimp ceviche, a local speciality. As we sit and lounge under a hand-made palapa watching the waves come into the bay, you can hear the clamour from the kitchen as grandma, auntie (Tia), unclo (tio) and all the cousins (primos) of a family cut, chop, grill and mince to prepare us our dinner. And it it worth the wait.

Mexican food is relatively simple, but that is what is so great. Beans, rice, homemade tortillas and some fresh-caught fish are the fundamentals of a good meal. Add some salsa verde (green), rojo (red) or mexicana (pico de gallo-ish) for flavor and vioala!

So far we’ve tasted fish and guac at every place we’ve eaten and nothing has disappointed us. I am enchanted with the reminder of how close to the food this culture truly is. The mango groves are just a few miles away (Supplying california w/most of their mangos as we learned today).

If you happen down here and want to have an awesome tour that is not your typical “gringo” tour, consider my amigo Adenis and his tour company Vip class tours. He’s a great guy and gives the best experience of “real” Mexico, topped off with a visit to his uncle’s restaurant EL GORDO in Buserias (a town North of P. Vallarta – a new favorite of mine and home to lots of Canadians and Ex-pats).

I’ve taken so many foodie and cultural pics, if only I’d have brought my cord for uploading pics. More to come later….

Adios amigos!

Ole – Mexico, here I come!!!

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My husband, Matt and I are off, for a week in Mexico starting tomorrow.

Some interesting observations I have realized about myself while on vacation:

  • It is actually EASIER for me to make good food choices when I’m away than when at home, despite being limited to the situation I am in when traveling.
  • I tend to make WORSE foods choices the few days before I go. I liken this one to stress or the pressure I put on myself to “look good” on vacation. whenever I put any sort of physical appearance stress on myself, it usually backfires. I suppose I just don’t like pressure 🙂
  • I really savor the flavors of my food and my digestion is better. At home I have a nasty habit of eating while working, or eating while doing something else. This is no good because I don’t connect with my food. IF you want to know more about connecting with your food, check out the mindful eating document in the bottom box of this blog.

Here are a few tips/tricks I do use to help me enjoy my vacation instead of being hung up on food/body image:

  • BYOS: bring your own snacks. Ialways pack an arsenal of raw nuts, flax chips, gluten-free bars, and sometimes fresh fruit (though not this time – I think I’ll find PLENTY in Mexico)
  • Bring a water bottle for the plane. Those dang airlines are really chinsey with doling out the water, so I just bring my own. I also use this bottle when out and about. It saves $$ and I’m guaranteed to have my water.
  • Bring teas. I love good tea, and I’ll feel less deprived if I have what I want.
  • Taste local flavors: spices, veggies or meat dishes that are unique to the region. I can eat bread and stuff like that anywhere – I want the good stuff. So, for this trip, I want good salsas, guacamole, carnitas, fajitas, tropical veggies, etc….YUM!!!

So, that is it! I’ll be back in a week 🙂 If I can write from the beach while I’m away, I will!

Quick…we need for lunch tomorrow!!

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skillet greens + spelt pilaf = YUM

Its about 7:30pm at our house on Sunday night. We’re tired. We’ve been painting ALL DAY and have just enough energy to stare at a TV and drool at dream kitchens on HGTV.

Then it comes to me. We need something nutritious to eat the next couple days at work. We both work long days and there are not many food options, except a marginally decent Safeway, and its hard to find good off-white options from the deli.

So we get cookin! The menu: Sauted collards + Kale, spelt pilaf and turkey burgers.
why this menu: First, we have all this stuff at home and need to cook the greens before they go bad, and second – this is typical fare in our world. It becomes easier to eat dark greens and non-wheat grains when you plan ahead, have some good recipes and invest the time. Any chance I can get for some dark greens, I take it. I had some white bread this weekend (here comes the nutritional confessional!). Not a big deal, but i really do feel like crap when I eat ‘white stuff’. Dark greens help detox the body.
Apparently Julius Cesar ate collards after attending royal banquets – I tell ya, those Greeks were smart people 😉

Okay, on with the recipe:

Collards/Kale saute
1 bunch each: kale + collard greens, deribbed and chopped

deribbed greens (these are the ribs that are left over – you can certainly be Martha Stewart and make stock with them, but I don’t).

2 tbsp EVOO or grapeseed oil
1/2 onion, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
salt, to taste

On a Med skillet, brown the onion w/1 tbsp oil. Next, add the greens and other oil and saute on med heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently so all the greens get coated w/oil and get some of the heat. Add lemon + salt for another 3-5 minutes of saute.
Enjoy! Serves 3-4.

Dunkin Donut Democratic Disaster……

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Dunkin Donuts

So this morning I had to work early, and part of my job is getting our wellness center ready for AM customers. I turn on our TV’s, and see some shocking news.

They were listing the amount of $$ certain politicians were spending. One campaignee (no names mentioned because I just don’t want to get political) spend over TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS on Dunkin’ Donuts.

Whoa. Back up…. This is a SCARY fact. Donuts are just about the harshest thing you can have to get your going in the morning. Full of refined carbs, poor quality sugars and basically nothing nourishing whatsoever, donuts are a sinister species of junkedness. Why is it that people who are working hard to elect the next leaders of the “free world” are eating garbage, and having it PAID FOR by the campaign.

This gets me so mad. Have any of you every been on a sugar high, and then a sugar crash? I certainly have and it ain’t no mindset to be in when you are making major decisions. And you KNOW these folks are working hard, ’round the clock, to get the votes. They need nourishment! They need sustainence! They need REAL food!!!!

So, in reaction to today’s news, I  have decided to make my top 10 list of foods that I would serve to my campaigners if I were to be running for prez:

  • Herbal and green teas would ALWAYS be available, along with agave nectar, honey and stevia for sweetening
  • Fresh fruit and veggie trays would be purchased in Lieu of Donuts. Truthfully, donuts aren’t that cheap anymore (maybe if you’re going to be president you get a discount??), so I’d spend a few extra $$ on some produce. I don’t want my staff sluggish, constipated or on their way to diabetes….
  • How about some whole grains? : A nice fresh loaf of whole grain bread from a local bakery with some REAL butter, maybe nice jam, maybe even some yummy coffee (if you’re into that sort of thing).  That would be a real way to get connected with the locals too.  For instance, if I was here in Salem, OR, I’d get some goodies from Great Harvest Bread Co and support the small business.
  • Even places like Baja Fresh are better options for mid-day or late night grub. Heck, even your local taqueria or falafel house is probably a better bet than Donuts. I’d go there instead.
  • Let’s make a run the nearest Trader Joe’s and pick up some black bean chips, hummus, fresh salsa, and bean dips…..cheap and feeds lots of people.
  • Not that I LOVE bagels as an option, but some small, whole grain bagels with some rockin smears, and even lox if I’m feeling generous that day.
  • Even Pizza would make my list: even pizza with meat.  But it would be from a local, wood-fire kind of place and it wouldn’t be daily.
  • Last time I checked, grocery stores are in every city and they all have delis, fresh produce sections and usually a natural food section.   I guess you wouldn’t be on my campaign if you couldn’t stand the idea of brown rice cakes + almond butter and a kiwi as a quick breakfast.
  • Larbars
  • I’d also MAKE my staff drink TONS of water with lemon. We’re going to be working hard. We’re going to be stressed. Junk food WILL creep in during the campaign, so how about keep it flushing out so we don’t have a coronary just about the time we get elected.

Okay, I officially live in a euphoric world.  But c’mon….we can do butter than 10K on donuts, can’t we?  What does that say about how we value health and the ability to achieve it when we are busy?  Life is never going to get any slower, we have to learn to make it possible to live well and healthy despite our choices to be very busy active people.  Think about that the next time you bring snacks to the office board meeting.  What does your snack say about what you value when health and work start to tango?

Is this thing on????

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Helloooooooooo World!

dagoba.jpg This is my first post on Off White and I welcome you with chocolate.

Being that it is Valentine’s day (okay I technically started this on 2/10, but I knew I’d share it with the world on V-day, I bring you my most favorite treat… CHOCOLATE!

You might be asking, why would I have a site dedicated to the education, advocacy, and community of whole food nutrition (namely white sugar/flour free) be talking about CHOCOLATE??

You see, that is going to be the magic of this place. I will show you that there is a life after “health” and that it can include your favorite foods. My personal MO has been that I rebel and binge on junk food if I feel deprived or restricted, so I’m always trying to find ways of integrating foods that make my body feel good and soothe the soul. As time goes on, I meet more and more people like me: overwhelmed by the choices we have and yet unclear about the best way to take care of our bodies with our food. “Off White” is about embracing the limitless opportunities for eating well, caring about what goes into the food, and creating community with others who want a better life than what the status quo, mind-numbing pseudo-food world has to offer us.

So, on this day of love, trying loving YOURSELF a little with this sweet treat:
Guiltless Hot chocolate for 1. Share with your sweetie and make it hot chocolate for two. I thank Wonderslim for their cocoa powder, which I just recently found at Lifesource in Salem.

wondercoca.jpg10 oz Almond Milk or Rice Milk
1 tbsp of Wondercocoa, by Wonderslim
.5 tsp Stevia powder
1 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg
The Secret Weapon: 1 tsp shredded baking chocolate or dark chocolate, such as Dagoba New Moon bar (74% cacao – hardly any sugar at all).

Heat milk on med heat in small saucepan. Do not let it boil, it spoils the flavor.
Add cocoa powder and stir thoroughly
Add stevia, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Just before serving add optional chocolate.

Enjoy with a smile on your face. If I could, I’d make each and every one of you a cup right now and we could sit and chat.

Hugs,
Rebecca