Tag: books
Heading to the cottage this weekend and looking for something to read?
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted to read the classics I’ve never gotten around to reading — think Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare — so I’m kind of excited about the new 100 Classic Books, which includes such novels as Pride and Prejudice to be read on any of the Nintendo DS systems.
(now if only the DS could emit that musty weathered book smell — I kinda like that scent, it’s oddly comforting…)
June 30, 2010
For me, nothing embodies the fall and winter months in a spoonful more than the delicious warm goodness of butternut squash soup. And one of the best ones I’ve ever made is the Decadent Squash Apple Soup from Healthy Sin Foods, the new book from nutritionist Joey Shulman.
It’s oh so very satisfying (with a thick, creamy coats-the-spoon consistency that makes facing the chilly outdoors bearable), and it’s already guaranteed its spot as a go-to recipe in my kitchen. And it’s good for you (per serving 73 calories, 3.5 g protein, 0 g of saturated fats, 14 g of carbs, 1.5 g fibre, 91 mg sodium and 0 mg cholesterol).
Blend some up and you’ll have plenty of servings to freeze (the recipe makes 8 servings and it’s way more satisfying and filling than having popcorn for dinner). Here’s the recipe*:
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups diced butternut squash
2 cups diced apple
1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced celery
1. Heat chicken broth in medium-sized pot over medium heat.
2. Add squash, apple, onion, and celery and simmer for 50 miutes or until ingredients can be pierced easily with a fork.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. Purée in a blender on high for 2 minutes. Depending on the size of the blender, you may have to purée in batches.
5. Reheat and serve with whole grain toast or a salad.
*From: Healthy Sin Foods by Dr. Joey Shulman. Copyright © Dr. Joey Shulman, 2009. Reprinted with permission of Penguin Group (Canada).
January 8, 2010
How can you not love the simplicity of the rules in Michael Pollan’s new book Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual? Rule No. 1: “Eat food”. That means cutting out overly processed foods, like that package of crackers with bright orange “cheese” spread I currently have in my handbag as an emergency snack… (Find more examples of Pollan’s rules here).
I didn’t buy the crackers btw; they were in a holiday basket I received and the frugal chick that I am, I just hate wasting food! I am willing, however, to ditch them in order to strive to eat according to Pollan’s Food Rules in 2010.
My insanely fit bestie, on the other hand, is on an uber-strict diet created by her personal trainer. The goal of the diet is to analyze how particular carbs and fats stimulate certain hormones for her specific biological makeup — all of this to determine how to precisely modify her diet so that she can carve out her already fit, triathlon physique even further. A typical lunch for her?
3 oz. of cooked meat
1 cup green veggies
1 tsp olive oil
1 tall glass of water with 1 tsp glutamine supplement and 2 digestive enzymes
Can you say bland? And that’s without even considering that the 3 oz of meat and the cup of green veggies also make up part of her mid-morning snack and her dinner! She’s been so craving sugar and texture (“Anything cakey or crunchy,” she says) that she’s been cheating on the diet big-time and recently asked (OK, it was more like sharply demanded with a manic glint in her eye) her husband to fork over some candy he’d “helpfully” hidden away.
To me, the diet is completely unsustainable (my tastebuds are bored to death just writing about it) and it’s making her feel just terribly guilty about “cheating” but I can’t help but think that a plan this extreme only sets one up for failure.
I’d much rather maintain my sanity by following Pollan’s sensible rules even if it means maintaining my soft-ish belly and tush — or at least that’s what I’ll try to remind myself whenever I catch a glimpse of her rockhard abs.
January 4, 2010
Next page
Previous page