The aromatic wonder of Coconut-almond Pancakes {Gluten-free}

My hubby loves breakfast foods, especially pancakes. I remember when we first got married how we he was absolutely appalled that I would just eat an apple for breakfast or grab a quick muffin. His mama made him a hot breakfast every morning when he was a kid!

Since those early days we have come to a compromise. He makes smoothies for our family every morning and on the weekends I make a "big man" breakfast for him.

Our family has been exploring new ingredients to eat less grains and more protein-packed flours like coconut flour and almond flour. These pancakes are light and fluffy and give the same satisfaction of eating warm pancakes but are not made with typical white and wheat heavy flours.

Coconut has such an aromatic wonder. I love just making these pancakes because I get to be in the kitchen and smell that coconut oil on the griddle.


Coconut-almond Pancakes

Ingredients:
5 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil or raw butter + more for cooking pancakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 almond flour
1/4 coconut flour
1 tablespoon flaxseed

Directions:

1. Blend eggs in mixer until foamy.
2. Meanwhile, melt coconut oil/butter in a frying pan.
3. Add sea salt, cinnamon and baking powder to the eggs. Add flours and flaxseed.
4. Stir in melted coconut oil/butter. Do not overmix. If batter feels to thick, you can always thin out with almond milk or coconut milk.
5. Pour batter onto pan in silver dollar-sized pancakes. Flip when pancake is browned.
6. Serve with chopped nuts, applesauce or even maple syrup.

Makes 12 pancakes.

Our family loved this recipe so much I would definitely double it anytime I make it for the whole family because we were fighting over the last one.

We like to even make these Coconut pancakes for dinner and serve them with turkey bacon. It's a great quick meal - Breakfast for Dinner!

Christmas Favorite: Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread

It's pear season! This recipe has become one of our favorites for winter and the Christmas season. We first made it a few years ago with our Cooking Club when we had a "Green Christmas" cooking theme. When I start seeing pears at the market, I start craving Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread. The fun part about this dessert is that it incorporates a classic gingerbread cake with a flavorful twist of pears drenched in butter. Top the slices with Cinnamon whipped cream and you have an elegant dessert for any holiday party!

Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread

1 1/2 cup unsalted organic butter, softened
1 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
4 large Bosc pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 large cage-free eggs
1/2 cup organic dark molasses
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (a pinch)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup boiling water

Cinnamon Whipped Cream
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 tablespoon organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a non-stick skillet, melt 1/2 cup of butter. Stir in 1/2 cup of brown sugar and stir until sugar melts. Add pear slices and cook, stirring occassionally until pears begin to slightly soften (about 5 minutes).
3. Arrange the pears (with all their juices and butter) in an even layer over the bottom of an 9x13 baking dish/cake pan.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat together remaining 1 cup butter with 1 cup brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
5. Add the eggs and molasses and beat into mixture.
6. Add flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Beat until fully incorporated. Do not overmix. Turn on mixer and slowly pour in 2/3 cup hot water into the batter and blend until incorporated and batter is smooth.
7. Spoon the batter over the pears in the dish. Bake until springy to touch (approximated 35-40 minutes).
8. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on a rack.
9. While the cake is cooling, beat whipping cream. Add 1 tablespoon organic sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
10. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate (or invert individual slices with a spatula). Cut into squares and serve warm topped with cinnamon whipped cream.

Serves 10-12.

Recipe of the Week: Double Chocolate Almond Brownies

I have a hankering for chocolate all the time, but especially when I'm pregnant. Now that I'm in my second trimester I've got some of my cooking mojo back. The fun part is all these ingredients were in my pantry. My friend just had a C-section the other day so I'm bringing these babies to the hospital for her. Move over hospital food. Try these brownies with a healthy twist!

Ingredients:
-1 cup organic butter
-4 cage-free eggs
-3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (could use squares of unsweetened chocolate and skip the oil)
-4 tablespoons olive oil
-1 cup organic sugar
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
-2 teaspoons ground flaxseed

-1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
-1/2 cup sliced almonds (could use walnuts, pecans or even dried cranberries)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper or greasing with olive oil.
3. Melt butter and add to a large bowl.
4. Add cocoa powder, olive oil.
5. Whisk in eggs one at a time.
6. Add sugar, flour and baking powder.
7. Stir in flaxseed.
8. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth top of batter.
9. Sprinkle chocolate chips and almonds on top.
10. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until top of brownies is springy to the touch.

Recipe of the Week: Three-seed Whole Wheat Honey Bread {in the breadmaker}

For my birthday, my mom gifted me a gently-used breadmaker that she scored at a silent auction. I love homemade bread - and even more the smell of it baking. That said, this pregnant mama of two doesn't have much energy these days for mixing, kneading, waiting for rising and monitoring bread in the oven. The breadmaker is an awesome time saver and great inspiration to make homemade bread every week. The following is a recipe for a whole wheat bread that can be used for sandwiches or just eaten with butter or jam for breakfast and snacks. My friend Anne shared her recipe with me and I modified it.

Do you have a breadmaker? What are some of your fave recipes to make in the breadmaker? Ideas welcome.

Three-seed Whole Wheat Honey Sandwich Bread

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups warm water (80 degrees)
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-1/3 cup honey
-2 teaspoons sea salt
-4 cups whole wheat flour (I like Bob's Red Mill or Trader Joe's brand)
-2 teaspoon yeast
-2 tablespoons flaxseed, ground
-2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
-2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1. Add water, oil and honey to the bottom of your breadmaker.
2. Sift flour to make bread lighter and add salt on top.
3. Create a well in the center and add yeast. Be careful not to dig well as deep as the liquids
4. Set breadmaker for whole wheat setting. (I also select light for mine but every breadmader is different.)
5. Add seeds when the breadmaker beeps for add-ins. (I've also just added the seeds from the beginning if I knew I was going to be gone.)

Celebrating Holy Week: Easter Menu Ideas

This week marks the most important holiday for Christians - Easter. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Holidays in our family mean a time for fellowship around the table and lots of food traditions. I can remember as a little girl how we always filled our house with friends and family for the Easter season. My favorite foods included Grandma Sara's homemade Easter bread and our own chocolate-covered eggs made with delectable fillings like peanut butter or mint.

This year we will be celebrating Easter with a supper at my mother-in-law's house. She will prepare the lamb Armenian style for us and I'm sure we will enjoy her famous Armenian Rice Pilaf. Since I'm not working on the main menu, I thought I'd take this opportunity to review some of my fave recipes to help you plan yours. Maybe you will happen upon one that will appeal to your family this season.

Happy Easter! Christ is Risen!

Brunch ideas:
Breakfast Enchiladas - This is a fun recipe to make breakfast fancy with a Mexican kick. We even serve up these egg and bean enchiladas for dinner sometimes.
Farmer's Market Egg & Sausage Casserole - Spring has sprung at the local farmer's markets. Don't miss the chance to incoporate organic, in-season veggies in your family brunch.
Carrot Tea Party Muffins - If you're joining a family brunch and want something easy to pack into a festive basket, try out these fun muffins. They can easily be made a day ahead.
Cranberry-lemon Scones with Lemon Whipped Cream - My girls love to help me make these homemade scones. Make an Easter morning brunch into a fancy English tea party with a special touch like these scones.
Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Bosc Pears and Poppy Seed Vinaigrette - This salad is low maintenance but will wow guests and add something more hearty to your brunch menu.
Strawberry Dutch Baby - You can use any kind of fruit on this Dutch puffy pancake. Since strawberries are in season in our neck of the woods, we will be heading down to the local stand.

Appetizers:
Maple-Pecan Chicken Wonton Cups - This fun appetizer is bite-sized (well, maybe two) and eaters of all ages love the combination of savory chicken salad and wonton crunch. Great to bring to a party.
Zucchini Flat Breads - Simple ingredients transform into an elegant appetizer or a perfect accompaniment to soup or salad.
Warm Italiano Spread - Serve up this delectable spread on crackers or homemade bread.
Egg salad sandwiches three different ways - Wondering what in the world to do with all those hard-boiled eggs? Why not make them into appetizers for your family. Here are three unique recipes for egg salad. Cut them into tea sandwiches or use an Easter-shaped cookie cutter to make them more festive on the plate.

Spring mains:
Italian Chicken with Strawberry Salsa - I wait all year for the strawberries so I can make this strawberry salsa over chicken. It's also great over lamb or fish. Experiment!
Italian Wedding Soup - This soup is a great starter for an Easter feast or make it your main and serve it with hearty appetizers. Kids and adults love the meatballs.
Chicken Cacciatore - This is one of our favorite "company" mains. The colorful peppers and tender chicken will be a treat for your guests.
Maple-Apricot-Glazed Salmon - Ready to move the cooking outside. Fire up the grill and try out these easy salmon recipe. If you don't have the cedar planks, don't fret. It's still yummy without that more expensive touch.

Fancy Beverages:
Strawberry-mint Lemonade - I love to get out our fancy wine glasses and serve up this spring-inspired virgin beverage. It's colorful and speaks spring.

Easter desserts:
Carrot Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting - You can use this recipe in two round pans and create a bunny cake like we did above. The kids can have fun decorating with natural candies (check out Trader Joe's or Whole Foods) or even chocolate chips.
Chai Cheesecake - This is one of my fave cheesecakes because it combines warm spices with a light cheesecake. It's a fun twist on a traditional dessert. Move over, Cheesecake Factory!
Chocolate-Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches - If you want to make something fun the whole family can enjoy, try making these homemade ice cream sandwiches. You can make them Saturday afternoon and they will be frozen and ready for Easter Sunday Supper.

Recipe of the Week: Broccoli & Garlic White Pizza

I often hear people say, "Oh, you guys are healthy you probably don't eat pizza." Wrong. We love pizza at our house! But we never order pizza and rarely eat it out because we love rolling our own dough and making up creative toppings.

I've found that pizza is one of the best meals to get kids involved in the cooking as well as the eating. If you haven't got the time to mix up your own dough, there are some great ready-made doughs available at Trader Joe's and Fresh & Easy in whole wheat varieties. If there's pizza, there's always a party at our house. I can hear my little girls scraping chairs across the kitchen floor and pulling up to the counter to help mama. Meilani loves rolling out the dough. Giada loves adding toppings - or rather, eating toppings - while we prepare our pies.

Pizza is also an opportunity to get kids involved in selecting and trying new veggies. If they get to "decorate" their own personal pizzas with colorful toppings, they just might try eating them. We discovered a new fave pizza by using what we had in the pantry: milk, garlic, broccoli and canned black olives. The result was this Broccoli & Garlic White Pizza.

My friend Amy also just made us a fun "Mexican Pizza" by cooking black beans until they were mushy, then spreading them on pizza dough and melting cheddar cheese on top. Then she chopped up lettuce and tomatoes and onions and threw them on top when the pizza came out of the oven. Yummilicious!

Honey-Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

-1 package yeast or 2 tablespoons yeast (Make sure your yeast is fresh.)

-1 cup warm water

-1 tablespoon organic sugar or honey

-1 tablespoon salt

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-3 cups whole wheat flour

-2 1/4 cups unbromated, unbleached white flour (I like Trader Joe's brand.)

-1 cup cold water (filtered is best)
 
1. Proof the yeast: Add yeast to 1 cup warm water. Be careful not to get the water too hot. (Temperature should be 110-115 degrees if you want to be precise.) Wait about five minutes until yeast begins to bubble up in water.
2. Use KitchenAid or other high-powered mixer with dough hook attachment. Add yeast/water mixture, honey, salt, olive oil, flours and cold water. Mix together on low speed.
3. Increase spead and knead dough in mixer for 8-10 minutes. Dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl and look smooth.
4. Divide into 3 balls of dough. Store in Ziplock bags in the refrigerator (for up to 1 week) or in freezer.

Simple Garlic White Sauce

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup butter

-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1/4 cup flour

-1 1/2 cups milk

-1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

1. Melt butter in small saucepan. Saute garlic.
2. Add flour and whisk together.
3. Allow to bubble and cook 3-4 minutes.
4. Add milk and whisk over medium heat until sauce thickens.
5. Stir in parmesan cheese and cook 3-4 more minutes.
6. Spoon over pizza.


Broccoli & Garlic White Pizza

Ingredients:

-1 recipe pizza dough (see above)
-1 recipe white sauce (see above)
-2 cups mozarella cheese, shredded
-1 head of broccoli, chopped
-1 can black olives, sliced
-whole garlic cloves (if desired)
-1 teaspoon fennel seed

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven to heat up.
2. Roll out pizza dough on to pizza pan or transfer to the pizza stone.
3. Top with white sauce.
4. Sprinkle with shredded mozarella cheese.
5. Top with broccoli and black olives. (You may add extra garlic cloves here if you really want that garlic flavor.)
6. Sprinkle with fennel seed.
7. Bake approximately 15 minutes until cheese bubbles and crust in golden brown.

Celebrate St. Patty's Day with a Twist: Shamrock shake gets a new whirl

Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends! At the Gilmore house, a new holiday means a new challenge to find healthy ways to celebrate and have fun. With the help of my little shamrocks, I just created a Minty Shamrock Shake (Move over, McD's) and tried out Irish Soda Bread with healthy twists. Yummy! You could always go digging in your refrigerator or browsing at your farmer's market for green fruits and veggies. Try sliced kiwi, limes, green peppers, asparagus, cucumbers - even apples!





We know it may sound weird but spring is the time for sweet peas so why not utilize their natural color? They have a light flavor but do not dominate a smoothie so your kids probably won't even notice. And the good news is, you don't have to use those yucky dyes to make your food green. If you're gun shy, try a tablespoon first just to get a little color. Just be a sneaky chef and leave a comment so we can hear if your little leprachauns liked it.

Minty Shamrock Shake

-3 cups raw whole milk (or your fave type of milk)

-1 tray of ice cubes

-1/2 teaspoon organic peppermint extract (depends on how minty you like it!)

-3 tablespoons honey (or organic sugar, if you prefer)

-1/4 cup frozen organic sweet peas



1. Whirl these ingredients in your blender until smooth.

2. Serve with a straw.




I found several recipes for Irish Soda Bread and decided to create my own. A special thanks to Maura Marmo and Peggy O'Brien-Bremer from my elementary school on the South Side of Chicago, who inspired me with their bread recipes. I've never used caraway seeds before but they are a fun addition that give this bread a distinct flavor. I would serve this up for breakfast, lunch or a dinner appetizer.

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

-3 cups whole wheat flour

-2/3 cup organic evaporated cane juice (sugar)

-1 tablespoon baking powder

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-2 beaten eggs

-1 1/2 cups buttermilk

-2 tablespoons organic butter, melted

-1 cup raisins

-1 teaspoon caraway seeds



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan or mini loaves.

2. Sift flour into bowl. Add sugar, baking powder and baking soda.

2. Beat eggs. Add milk and butter. Blend into dry ingredients until batter is incorporated and moist.

3. Add raisins.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour or until golden brown on top.

6. Cool, slice and serve with butter.


Here are more St. Patty's Day healthy recipes from one of my fave online sources, Eating Well Magazine.

*This post was pulled from the Health-full archives.

Recipe of the Week: Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Rosemary Focaccia Bread

A few weekends ago we went to visit our friends the VanderMeulens. In addition to taking us to a fabulous Gouda Cheese Farm, Jen also made us a memorable Sunday supper with this hearty wild rice soup. My hubby who is always spewing health and nutrition tidbits started rattling off some of the benefits of wild rice. If you've been reading our blog for any length of time we are crazy about celebrating food created by God that helps our bodies better than any medicine.

Did you know wild rice really isn't rice at all?  Sounds weird but it's actually long-grain marsh grass seed. Wild rice is packed with nutrients and protein. It's especially high in zinc, which is vital for healthy skin, cell growth, sexual and reproductive function, a strong immune system, and blood sugar regulation.

Truth be told, I've been searching out ways to incorporate "wild rice." So far I've only been able to use it in a Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe by Bobby Flay that  has become tradition at our house. I was grateful for Jen's recipe, which I tweaked a little bit to make it my own. The inspiring part about this soup is that it is thick, stick-to-your-insides hearty. It's perfect for those cold winter months but could be served up anytime of the year. I added sausage to my version because I happened to have a package of my favorite Trader Joe's Mango Chicken Sausage in the fridge. (Also, my dad, Mr. Carnivore himself, was coming to dinner so I thought this was an even better way to lure him to love wild rice.) You could choose to make it vegetarian or add the meat.

I am my Italian mother's daughter and I do believe every great meal needs to be accompanied by really amazing bread. I've been tweaking this focaccia bread recipe over the last several months - trying out different flours, playing with yeast and herbs. Let's be real: yeast is finicky and bread making can be tough. I've discovered that if my yeast/warm water/flour mixture doesn't literally bubble over the glass cup within 10 minutes than the yeast is not in good condition. It's worth throwing it out and starting over. Slowly but surely I'm starting to get the hang of it. There is something truly magical about watching the yeast bubble, adding the ingredients, kneading it (or putting my Kitchenaid to the hard work), letting it rise and bake. The rich smell of bread just permeates the house.

My hubby's secret dream is that we would buy a bread mill and grind our own flour and bake our sandwich bread every week. However, we don't have the moolah for a mill or a bread machine and I'm not quite there. I tell him to make a Trader Joe's run. In the meantime though, I will make an occasional loaf and this is my go-to recipe for company or family.

Creamy Wild Rice & Sausage Soup

Ingredients:
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 yellow pepper, chopped
-1 red or orange pepper, chopped
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
-1 cup celery (about 3 stalks), chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 teaspoon dried thyme
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-2 teaspoons sea salt
-1 bay leaf
-8 cups chicken broth or water
-1 cup wild rice
-1/4 cup organic butter
-1/4 cup flour
-2 cups whole milk
-1 package Trader Joe's Mango Chicken Sausage (or other pre-cooked sausage of your choice)
-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional if you want to kick it up a notch)

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil. Chop vegetables.
2. Sweat peppers, onions, carrots, celery and garlic in the pot for about 10 minutes.
3. Add spices: thyme, chili powder, sea salt, bay leaf. 
4. Add chicken broth or water and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add rice and simmer on low, covered for 45 minutes.
6. In a separate sauce pan, melt butter and stir in flour. Whisk together 3-4 minutes until a paste forms. Add milk. Allow to bubble cooking until it thickens.
7. Add roux or flour mixture to large soup pot. Cook additional 10 minutes until soup is thick and creamy.
8. Cut up sausage into bite-sized chunks. Stir into soup.
9. Add red pepper flakes to taste.

Makes 10 servings.



Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Ingredients:
-1 package or 2 tablespoons yeast
-4 cups flour, divided (I prefer all purpose, unbleached, unbromated like Bob's Red Mill or Trader Joe's brand; could use 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour if you want to do a mix)
-1/2 cup lukewarm water

-1 cup water
-3 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
-2 tablespoons organic sugar or honey
-1 tablespoon rosemary sprigs

-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil + 2 tablespoons extra for brushing

1. Mix together yeast, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup lukewarm water in a bowl or glass measuring cup. Be careful not to get water to hot or it will kill the yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes until the mixture begins to bubble up.

2. Meanwhile, measure 3 1/2 cups flour, sea salt and sugar into a large bowl. (If using a Kitchenaid mixture, attach dough hook.)

3. Pour olive oil and yeast mixture into the flour mixture. Add additional cup of water. Stir together. 

4. Knead for approximately 10 minutes or until dough is smooth. Add flour if it appears sticky.

5. Cover in an oiled bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

6. Position a rack on the bottom third of your oven and place a pizza stone on the rack. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

7. Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Roll out into a large circle about 1-inch thick. Place on top of pizza stone. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle rosemary on top along with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.

8. Bake on the stone until golden and crisp approximately 15-20 minutes.

Recipe of the Week: Cauliflower Potato Cheese Soup

This past weekend we piled our girls in the car and headed north to visit three different families of friends. One of our excursions included the Oakdale Gouda Cheese Farm with the VanderMeulens. This place is the real deal with delectable cheeses handmade by Dutch immigrants. We came home with a 2-pound glorious wheel of basil gouda cheese.

My kids are cheese monsters. They would eat cheese all day long if I let them. I'm not sure if it's their Italian blood or if mama has modeled that one for them. That said, we are careful about too much cheese intake. We regard it as a special treat at our house for cost and health reasons.

I learned a good lesson during The New Year's Pantry Challenge that sometimes making the cheese a garnish is a great way to save money and show off the "special" ingredient. My Potato-Corn Chowder employs the same technique. I love easy soups when the weather is cold and you need something hearty to warm your insides.

This cauliflower soup was inspired by the beautiful heads of cauliflower at our local market, and, of course, the wheel of gouda cheese. Bon Appetit!

Cauliflower Potato Cheese Soup

Ingredients:
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 small head of cauliflower, chopped
-6 small potatoes
-2 carrots, chopped
-4 cups water or chicken stock
-1 tablespoon dried or fresh parsley, chopped
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
-1/2 teaspoon celery seed
-1/8 teaspoon pepper flakes, optional
-2 tablespoons flour
-2 cups milk or cream
-1 cup gouda cheese, shredded (You might use another hard cheese like parmesan.)
-4-5 stalks green onions, chopped for garnish

1. Add oil to a large stock pot. When oil is heated add, garlic and stir until fragrant.
2. Saute or sweat the cauliflower, potatoes and carrots in the oil until they are slightly brown and tender.
3. Add the water or chicken stock.
4. Add spices: parsley, sea salt, black pepper, celery seed, red pepper flakes.
5. Allow to simmer about 20 minutes until vegetables are very soft. Meanwhile, mix flour and milk in a separate measuring cup or bowl.
6. Add milk and flour mixture to soup. Continue cooking for about 10 more minutes until soup begins to thicken.
7. Serve in bowls with cheese grated on top as garnish. Another colorful garnish would be chopped green onions.

Thoughts on Fitness: Time to up the intensity

By Ericlee Gilmore

The longer I am in the fitness industry, the more I realize that we have been doing fitness all wrong. I was raised with an attitude to work hard always. For me that included fitness too. If my heart was not racing, and if everything in my body was not screaming "stop" then I knew I could work harder. CrossFit has helped me realize that true fitness is not just strength or endurance.

I have been doing CrossFit since 2009 and I have been coaching it for one year. True fitness is the ability to do more work over a broad domain in the shortest amount of time. True fitness is not debateable because there is always a winner. It could be just body weight exercises like push-ups, squats, and pull-ups. Or it could be lifting weights like cleans or a medicine ball. Or it could be combination of body weight exercises, lifting weights, and metabolic conditioning. That is when you put it all together. Those are the workouts that hurt the most.

I think the problem we have is that we are not intense when it comes to exercise. Working hard means intensity. We are intense in our jobs, in the education of our children, in our personal rights and freedoms, even in our driving, but when it comes to fitness and exercise we aim for the lowest standard. Walking is a great start if you have never exercised in your life. You must move on from there.

Running is great too but running for a long period of time is not intense. Try sprinting 100-meters ten times in a row with a two-minute rest between each one. The key word here is sprint. That is an all out effort. So make fitness an all out effort. Make it intense! It might be just 5 minutes and that is okay. Whatever you do work at it with all your heart and I guarantee you will see results.

One last thing. Please remember that fitness does not stand alone. In the kingdom of wellness there is a king which is fitness and a queen which is nutrition. If you forget either one then your "kingdom" will fall apart. I just heard from a well-known strength and conditioning specialist that the best advice to give someone in America is called the "table push-away." Eat less and exercise more. I will leave you with that.

Recipe of the Week: Carrot Tea Party Muffins

My girls (and the little boy I babysit) are into the "tea party phase." Today I decided to make up a new mini-muffin recipe using what we had on hand. Meilani had her friend Mia over and all four of the little ones put on aprons. Don't get me wrong: flour was flyin' and grubby hands were reaching in the batter but the result was this yummy (and healthy) new muffin recipe. Don't forget the flaxseed to give them some good omega-3s! We made these in our mini-muffin tins and they were perfect tea party fare. You could even frost them with cream cheese and honey blended for an extra special flair.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
2 tablespoons organic butter, softened
1 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups oats, uncooked
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons flaxseed, ground
1/2 cup honey (or organic raw sugar)
2 cups carrots, shredded (could substitute zucchini or apples)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend together egg, butter, milk and yogurt.
3. Add dry ingredients: oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and flaxseed.
4. Mix in honey/sugar, carrots, raisins and chocolate chips.
5. Grease muffin tins with olive oil spray. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop batter into tins. Bake 15-20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown on top and springy to the touch.

Makes 2 dozen mini-muffins or 1 dozen large muffins.

New Year's Pantry Challenge: A Conclusion or a New Beginning?

I survived. Actually, I knew I would survive because I've done this before. It's kind of like attempting a 10k or a half marathon when I know I've completed them before. I continue to run those races because I know it's good for my body. I love the challenge and the discipline of training for a race. I treasure the comradery of running with friends or my husband. I feel inspired with a goal in mind. There was no doubt I would survive the pantry challenge this time around but I wanted to press myself toward thankfulness. I wanted to reject the temptation to get lazy about food, to complain about living off less. My spirit needed to be buoyed up by the bounty of community and creativity.

These few weeks have bonded me together with old friends and new friends. I'm blessed by so many who have shared meals with us. We have pooled our resources and learned from each other. I'm thankful for our Life Group that shares a meal every other week. Right now I'm taking the fococcia bread out of the oven and putting in the Butternut Squash Lasagna to serve to them tonight. I'm celebrating this bit of abundance. I'm grateful for times of sharing in community.

I've thought a lot about this guy Leo from our church who just moved into his first apartment after being homeless for 3 years. He's a veteran who has been on the streets. Our abundance, a meager bag of leftovers, graced his cupboards this week. My dad delivered it to Leo after our Pantry Party early in this challenge. I felt blessed that we could share with someone else in need. I like the idea of donating money or goods to a food pantry our soup kitchen but it doesn't get personal until you get involved with a real person. Really, couldn't we all do a little more? Some of our friends are raising money to feed babies in Ethiopia through Samaritan's Purse. That cause is personal to them since their son is adopted from Ethiopia. I know I need to get brave and actually invite Leo to dinner. What would happen if he joined hands around the table with my kids, my husband, my parents? What about you? Maybe you need to get brave and search out a cause, offer a meal to a friend who needs a break, serve up soup to a neighbor you've never met.

This week I've also been reminded why I love cooking. There's a quiet, creative space in cooking for me. As a busy mama of two and auntie for one or two more children who are frequently at my side, I seldom find solitude at my house. I choose quieting tasks like knitting or cooking to find space to breathe. I know that cooking brings me closer to praying. I was reading Ann Voskamp's "A Holy Experience" blog today and she pressed that part of my soul that needed reminding that "Housework is really being about the work of God — praying, serving, praising. And in these domestic chapels, God, The Very Person of Peace, offers Himself to the congregants." When I'm methodically peeling and chopping a butternut squash or adding spices to a sauce or kneading dough and watching it rise and bubble, I ponder the day. I pour out my failures, my worries, my struggles. A little elbow grease, a little flour on the hands, helps me wade through the dirtiness of a day to the other side where God whispers peace that passes understanding to my soul.

I have to admit I was giddy this weekend, knowing that I had a trip to the farmer's market and grocery store ahead of me. I started making my list in my head and scratching meal plans on paper. I believe there is a kind of worship in feeding my family healthy and delicious foods. Don't hear what I'm not saying. I didn't say I worship food. I worship God by honoring this temple he gave me. I fill up the temple with whole, healing foods.

When we got to the farmer's market in Ontario near my brother's house, my girls and I gravitated toward the berries. These morsels were pricey in the dead of winter but spending money on berries is worth it to me. I'd rather spend my weight in organic berries than fork out cash on medicine. We build berries into our budget especially during these winter cold and flu months. We lovingly call berries the superheroes of the food world. They are ripe with antioxidants for fighting off the bad guys. There's nothing that pleases a foodie mama's soul more than to see my two little girls with berry-stained lips and fingers.

I feel grateful that I have the choice to fill up my pantry. These next few weeks I still have a limited budget but I know I am choosing to line the cupboards and refrigerator shelves with good food. I am thankful for my husband's hours coaching at the gym this month. I am thankful for this season of waiting as our family prepares to move to Haiti and reach out to many there who are hungry.

I want this New Year's Pantry Challenge to truly be a new beginning as we learn more about what it means to live simply, to eat whole foods and to share our abundance. When I'm tempted to whine, I will whisper prayers on behalf of the hungry here in Fresno and in Haiti and around the world.

"For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." - Psalm 107:9

What did you learn these last two weeks?