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The Wonders of Plant Based Calcium
March 27, 2013 by Joelle
Filed under All, Faces of FNL 2013, For Your Health!, Info
Calcium is a very important subject for me so I was to learn that this month is calcium month! A hysterectomy, shortly after my second child was born pushed me into menopause at the age of 35. Along with this came an increased risk of osteoporosis, making bone health an important consideration in my diet. Like everyone else, I had grown up believing that eating my 2-3 servings of dairy a day was the healthy way to go. I never questioned the absurdity of consuming another species’ breast milk. Through my research and my experiences with Marni to date, I have learned that dairy actually impedes my goal of strong bones by contributing to an acidic body. When this happens the body will try to reinstate an alkaline state by leaching calcium from the bones.
So, where is a girl to get her calcium? I start several days a week with a hearty dose of calcium from a smoothie made with banana, organic berries, calcium rich kale and fortified almond milk. This is a favourite of my daughter’s as well. Trust me, you can not taste the kale. Adding some ground flax seed ups the calcium even more.
While there is a long list of veg-friendly calcium sources out there, two personal favourites are edamame and sesame seeds. Edamame pods are a popular snack in our household; steamed and tossed with a bit of EVOO, salt and pepper. I also add shelled edamame to quinoa dishes, pastas, and salads. Most things I cook are finished off with a healthy sprinkle of sesame seeds as well, adding flavour, texture, and giving the food a nice presentation.
I was happy to see these two ingredients front and centre at Marni’s Amazing Asian cooking class earlier this month. My two favourite recipes were the Nappa Cabbage Salad, and the Arame Soba Noodle Salad. I recreated both of these dishes at an Asian-themed pot luck this past weekend to great reviews. One of my reasons for wanting to win the Fully Nourished Lifestyle prize was to be an example to those around me. I find people can be pretty sceptical of vegan cooking, so it is very heartening to bring healthy vegan fare and have it be as well received as the meat and sugar-laden foods around them. Thanks Marni!
On The Go with Calcium!
March 20, 2013 by Joelle
Filed under All, Faces of FNL 2013, For Your Health!, Info
When you eat a plant based diet, people never tire of demanding you’re not getting enough protein. I have literally never had anyone ask me about my calcium intake.
I have a pretty hectic schedule that is constantly changing. One day I may be taking acting classes and running to Hot Yoga class, the next I’m auditioning for commercials and then babysitting the world’s cutest toddler. As much as I love cooking, I don’t always have time to micro-manage every single aspect of my daily diet. This means it’s so important to have a well-rounded diet that includes lots of Calcium rich foods.
One resource that I’ve found invaluable is CalciYum!, a vegetarian calcium based cookbook by David & Rachelle Bronfman. Marni gave me this book at my first consultation, and it has a ton of great recipes along with information about Calcium dense plant foods. This has helped me to consider Calcium in addition to protein when I’m choosing different ingredients for my meals. I love beans, tempeh, and tofu which are great sources of Calcium. Incorporating leafy greens into my everyday life has made a big difference. I put kale, spinach, and collards, into my soups, salads, stir-fries, and baking. You get countless benefits from consuming leafy greens, and there are so many to choose from and experiment with. The other high calcium food that I try to eat everyday is Almonds, I am a huge Almond lover. I like to have a little container of almonds with me or a Lara bar on hand as an emergency snack.
A great part of living in Toronto is the plethora of Vegetarian stores and restaurants at our fingertips. Last fall I was doing a class at Second City, and I would often have to rush to another audition, appointment or class, right after. Thankfully I could stop at Fresh on Spadina for a quick nutritious pick-me-up. Smoothies are an awesome way to get some extra Calcium into your diet! The Date Almond Smoothie and Tropic Thunder at Fresh are two of the most delicious beverages I’ve ever had. They both have Almond Butter, and the Date-Almond Smoothie can also have Almond milk in it, and you can add Kale to any juice or smoothie!
I also participated in my first cooking class with Marni this month called Grain Goodness. She showed us just how versatile vegetables and grains can really be. All of the dishes we made were so delicious, and I will definitely be recreating them all at home.What about you? Do you give much thought to the Calcium in your diet?
I’d love to hear any tips or thoughts. Reply in the comments section below or tweet @KristyLapointe or @NourishedFully
Superfoods for a Super You
June 6, 2012 by Sophia
Filed under Cooking Classes, DESSERTS, For Your Health!, Info, Nourishing Resources, Super Foods
It seems like more and more lately we keep hearing about superfoods. The question is, do you know what a superfood is and what qualifies it as a superfood?
What Are Superfoods?
Superfoods are a category of foods found in nature; they are superior sources of essential, super-power nutrients, nutrients we can’t make ourselves. They are the most powerful foods on the planet, and are powerhouses for the transformation to a slender, healthier you. If you are what you eat, why not be super?
Where Can I Find Them?
Superfoods can be found everywhere. You are likely using many of them already everyday. Not all superfoods come from exotic places like Costa Rica and Thailand – but many are right here in North America and can be found at your local health food store, grocery store or farmer’s market.
Everyday foods such as kale, quinoa, sweet potatoes, blueberries, and raw honey are amazing superfoods to start with. If you want to get exotic – include superfoods such as nori seaweed, cacao, goji berries, maca, Maqui, and mesquite as well.
Superfoods Also Include:
- Raw foods – (food not heated above 48 degrees Celsius or 120 degrees Fahrenheit),
- High enzyme foods - (foods that easily break themselves down are easier on our digestive system, such as mangoes, pineapple, papaya and avocados)
- Organic foods - (foods grown without pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals)
- Fresh, local foods (visit local farmers markets and taste the difference that local foods make!)
When Choosing Your Superfoods:
Look for foods with a variety of colour, texture, flavour and shapes. This makes your meals and snacks exciting! No one wants a boring meal that doesn’t taste good.
Focus on high nutrient-dense foods over low calories. Calories don’t determine how many vitamins, minerals, enzymes or overall nutrients are in a food item. Superfoods have concentrated nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) and provide so much nutrition in every bite. It’s also important to get away from focusing on calories all the time. It can become obsessive and you may loose sight of actually consuming good quality food!
Why Superfoods?
They make you happy! They help you to actually lose weight because you will be eating foods that satisfy and satiate, rather than make you crave other foods! Your cells become saturated with nutrition. Plus:
- They give you energy
- They help your body to detoxify
- They give you mental clarity
- They promote activity and weight loss
- They improve immunity
- They clear and brighten your skin
Get started today and make some super recipes!
Or, if you need some help and you’re serious about getting more superfoods in your diet, let me help you in my Superfoods for Super Health workshop.
If you want a FREE spot in this class see details here!
Superfood Power Balls
What’s in it?
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup goji berries
2 tbsp cacao nibs or cocoa powder
1 tbsp raw honey or coconut nectar
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp Sun Warrior Protein Powder (Use code MW007 when checking out at RAW ELEMENTS for 5% discount)
Here’s how to find some of these ingredients easily: Upaya Naturals & Navitas Naturals
How it’s made!
Place all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you get a thick “doughy” consistency. Roll into bite size balls for quick power bites –perfect for your purse or a midday snack or after a workout.
What are your favourite Superfoods?
In Health,
Keep Your Stems!
April 11, 2012 by Sophia
Filed under All, Delicious Recipes, For Your Health!, Info, SIDES

Stems, skins, and tops - often regarded as useless - are chock full of nutrients and vitamins beneficial to your health.
When your mum used to say to you “Eat all your veggies!” it was for a good reason. Vegetables are a must that should be included your diet to keep you feeling healthy and fabulous. Not only are vegetables rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins, but for those wanting to look as good as they feel, vegetables are low in calories, excellent energy sources, and help maintain a healthy weight.
That’s why it pains me when I often hear that people throw out the stems, tops and skins of their fruits and veggies. You may not realize it, but they usually carry more nutrients than the fruit or vegetable themselves. If you’re going out of your way already to buy beautiful, fresh, or even local and organic produce, then why waste the most nutritious parts? Unless you are composting – you’re getting rid of essential nutrients that could be benefiting you.
The Stems
Most stems, skins, and even leafy tops to fruits and veggies are loaded with fiber and nutrients. Since the stem is the component that’s rooted in the soil, it contains more substantial vitamins and nutrients. For vegetables such as kale, collards, parsley and swiss chard – don’t get rid of those precious stems!
The Tops
Then there’s the tops. This is for vegetables like beets, carrots, or any other vegetable that sprouts a leaf or anything green. This is indicating that the vegetable is full of vibrancy and nutrients, so don’t just cut them off and toss them into the garbage. They’re very useful and can be a great contribution to your diet.
The Skin
The skin of most fruits and vegetables such as apples, oranges, potatoes, squashes and even kiwi, contain antioxidants, fiber and other health promoting properties.
What can you do with your leftover stems, tops, and skins?
Depending on the type of fruit or vegetable – whether it’s a leafy green or root veggie – there are different uses for them.
Uses and benefits for your stems, tops, and skins
- Stems make a great the base to a stir-fry. Add in broccoli and swiss chard stems at the beginning along with your onions and celery. That way they can soften and absorb lots of flavour.
- Stems make are great for the base for a soup stock (collard stems, kale stems, parsley stems). Let them infuse in your water for an hour or so and then remove. They will leach all of their nutrients into your soup stock.
- The skins from citrus fruits contain bioflavonoids, which are amazing antioxidants. Use the zest of an orange into a cookie, muffin or yogurt.
- Put the stems and skins of any fruit and vegetable through your juicer. From collards, kale, broccoli and chard to carrots, beets and apples.
- Bake your potatoes and squash with the skins on. Potatoes skins have potassium, iron, and vitamin C.
- Use the tops of beets and stems of swiss chard to make a wonderful and colourful side dish. Beetroot tops are loaded with calcium, magnesium and iron.
Garlicky Green Stem Sautee
3 cloves of garlic
2 large bunches of whole beet root tops and swiss chard
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
How you make it!
- Fold green leaves in half lengthwise and cut away the leaf from the inner ribs or stem.
- Chop up the stems into small pieces and set aside.
- Pile about 5-6 leaves on top of one another, and roll into a tight roll
- Starting at the top and cutting across the leaves, slice the leaves into needle thin strips.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds.
- Add the stems, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft.
- Add in the green leaves and cook until they are bright green, and are just short of their wilting point.
Snap It, Seal It, Save It!
March 21, 2012 by Sophia
Filed under All, Contests/Giveaways, Marni's Products
We’ve all had this moment. You decide to make a stir fry with the fresh greens you bought a few days ago. You open your veggie draw, and to your horror, the veggies have blackened and began going bad. It can put a damper on your dinner plans, but you can save your veggies and extend their freshness for days if you invest in one good solution: Wean Green glass containers.
All you need to do is snap, seal, and save. It really is that simple. You don’t need to do anything fancy.
The benefits of these glass containers varies: they’re eco, fun, and come in different shapes and sizes. They’re complimentary for taking on the go and sealing in taste and freshness, or storing in your fridge to use in that stir-fry you plan to make on Friday.
Although some of these containers appear to be on the small side, fear not! There are larger ones available that fit sandwiches and any other dish you bring to work for lunch. But for the smaller containers, there’s so much you can do (including portion control!). They’re perfect for making sauces, dips, and spreads, storing salad dressings, trail mix or dry snacks, or yummy desserts like pudding and yogurt.
A little background on Wean Grean (because it’s important to know where your products come from): they’re a company whose philosophy is well rooted around creating small enough containers that Moms could use to store baby food and kids snacks. Of course, you don’t have to be a mom to use these containers. The only prerequisites are getting sick of your produce going bad early and needing a good quality storage solution. Whether it’s a homemade puree of vegetables or for other dried snacks, you can bet that Wean Green can be used for it.
They’re so cute – how can you not want one? Lucky for you, I’m giving away a Wean Green kit to the lucky winner of this week’s contest. To enter, all you have to do is:
1) Tell me why you’d like a Wean Green container
2) What’d you store in it
Simply comment below. At the end of the week, I’ll choose the best answer to be rewarded with the kit. Good luck Torontonians!
Note: (Winner must be able to pick it up in Toronto)
Want to hear what Marni’s up to, or grab some #DeliciousTips?
Can you be healthy, vegetarian and pregnant?
January 30, 2012 by Marni Wasserman
Filed under All, Delicious Recipes, For Your Health!, Nourishing Resources, SALADS
- Being vegetarian and pregnant is frequently a topic of concern for many people – vegetarians especially!. People often wonder if it is safe for both the mother and her baby. Fortunately, there is good news here. It is perfectly safe and healthy to be a vegetarian during your pregnancy; you just have to plan carefully.
Pregnancy is a time for a woman to take her nutrition and health seriously. Whether you need to give yourself a nutrition makeover or you are already health savvy, your body is now the vessel for another life. This means that you have to ensure that everything you do is working towards making your body and your baby as healthy as possible.
If you are currently a vegetarian, then it is essential to learn what nutrients to incorporate during this crucial transitional stage, and the foods in which you will find them. The bottom line is that your body needs appropriate nutrients: enough calories, protein, iron, and vitamins and minerals, all of which can be derived from a plant-based diet!
Here are some key nutrient and food sources for a healthy vegetarian pregnancy:
Protein: You will need to increase your protein intake during pregnancy. This is crucial for the growth and development of the baby and to keep you satisfied as well. There are a variety of incredible vegetarian protein sources such as beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, tempeh, dark leafy greens, sea vegetables, organic eggs, and sheep’s milk. These foods are also great sources of Iron.
Caffeine should be completely avoided during pregnancy it interferes with your absorption of iron from vegetables. However, enjoying foods that are rich in vitamin C (fruits and vegetables) with meals has the opposite effect and actually helps your body to absorb iron.
Calcium: This is the most essential mineral for the health of a pregnant woman, as it helps to form the bones, teeth, and muscles of your growing baby. Calcium-rich sources of food include green leafy vegetables, sea vegetables, whole grains such as quinoa and millet, nuts, seeds, and organic dairy.
Folic Acid: This is crucial for forming red blood cells and also aids in the growth and reproduction of other cells, particularly in supporting the development of the baby’s nervous system. Folic acid also stimulates the mother’s appetite, which helps to maintain her overall nutrient intake. Sources include green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and organic dairy.
Ensuring that you include foods that provide these main nutrients in your diet on a daily basis will keep you and your growing baby well-nourished. These are the key components to a complete and balanced diet and you can get them all from a variety of plant-based foods, so there is no need for concern, as you can safely be a vegetarian during your pregnancy!
On a personal note, I have yet to get pregnant myself and experience it as a vegetarian. However I feel with the foundation that I have I should have any problems maintaining and achieving optimal health for myself and my baby. I can’t wait to one day share this experience with you on my blog. I understand it is easier said then done to some, so I would love for those of you are veggie moms to share your experience with us below!
Orange-Avocado Salad with Pomegranate Dressing
Ingredients:
½ cup arame, soaked
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup pure pomegranate juice
¼ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 bunches baby arugula or mixed greens
3 oranges, segmented without membranes
1 avocado* cut into small cubes
1 cup chickpeas
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup chopped parsley or mint
Procedure:
- Rinse arame and soak in a bowl of water for about 20 minutes. Drain and gently squeeze out any remaining water. Discard soaking water.
- Mix together olive oil, orange juice, pomegranate juice and dijon mustard, honey, and cider vinegar.
- Transfer arame into a bowl with arugula, chickpeas, avocado and orange slices. Add dressing.
- Top with pumpkin seeds.
Delicious Tip
Avocados are rich in folic acid, an essential nutrient during pregnancy which is vital for the brain and nervous system of your baby. They are also rich in essential fatty acids, b vitamins, vitamin C, potassium. Avocados are high in fat (though the very good kind) and calories, so heap them on your plate only if you’re having trouble gaining weight.
Share you experience with us!
Did you have a vegetarian pregnancy? How was it. What challenges did you face if any!
What can you share or tell readers from your experience so that they are informed!
The healthier choice this holiday
December 12, 2011 by Marni Wasserman
Filed under All, Delicious Recipes, For Your Health!, Nourishing Resources, SIDES
Originally featured on Chatelaine
Don’t get overwhelmed with too many recipes when it comes to your holiday cooking this year. You may be deciding whether to stick with tradition, or just go with what is easiest and quickest to prepare. Why not go with some simple, healthy options, even if it means breaking a tradition or two? It will not only save you calories and excess fat, but you will have a colourful and balanced dinner on your plate and actually feel great afterward. Here are some ideas on how to sort through each component of your meal and how to choose wisely:
Appetizers
Instead of a cheesy dip, devilled eggs, or cheese puffs, serve a warming bowl of split pea soup. Soup makes a great holiday appetizer since it fills you up without giving you too many calories. It is also served warm, which means it will give you time to sip it before you eat too many bacon wrapped bread sticks!
Starch
White mashed potatoes with butter, cream, or milk are a holiday staple, but try making some squash instead this year. There are many varieties available, such as acorn, butternut, buttercup, or even spaghetti squash. All you have to do is cut the squash in half, drizzle it with olive or coconut oil, add a pinch of cinnamon, and bake it for an hour. Squash is delicious alongside any dish, and is naturally sweet with fewer calories and fat than traditional mashed potatoes.
Veggies
Standard dishes like creamed spinach and overcooked veggies coated with cheese sauce have more calories than necessary for one meal. Instead, choose to lightly steam some green beans, Swiss chard, or broccoli. Be sure not to over-steam though, since you want your veggies to be crisp and green! Drizzle them with olive oil and lemon juice and top it all off with chopped almonds or cranberries for a unique flavour.
Main Course
Instead of ham or roast beef, consider leaner and cleaner options like organic free-range turkey breast baked with rosemary and fresh lemon juice. Or go vegetarian and venture into making a lentil loaf or quinoa pilaf.
Dessert
A good alternative to fruitcake, rich puddings, and parfaits is to opt for a homemade gingerbread loaf or cookies made with spelt flour, maple syrup, and applesauce. You will not only save calories but also actually add fibre and nutrients to your dessert tray!
Stuffing
It doesn’t matter whether you have something to stuff or not, because this veggie stuffing recipe tastes great all on its own or on your plate beside some quinoa, squash, or steamed greens.
This delicious recipe will be featured in my Holiday Harvest Class on Thursday! (3 Spots Left – come and join the fun)
Apple Walnut Stuffing
Ingredients:
6 cups firmly-packed diced whole kamut bread
1/2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onion
1 1/2 cups peeled, diced tart apple (granny smith)
3 bunches scallions, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon each: dried thyme, savory
3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt, more or less to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups apple juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the diced bread on a baking sheet.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until dry and lightly browned.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the red onion and sauté over medium heat until golden. Add the apple and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the bread cubes with the onion and apple mixture. Add all the remaining ingredients except the apple juice and toss together. Sprinkle in the apple juice slowly while stirring to moisten the ingredients evenly.
- Transfer the mixture to an oiled shallow 1 1/2-quart baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned and still slightly moist. Stir once during the baking time. Transfer to a covered serving container.
Marni’s Delicious Knowledge
Who doesn’t love stuffing? Serve this recipe at your holiday meal this year and your guests
will savour every delicious bite. Not sure what to do with leftovers? Toss them in a wrap with fresh
vegetables the next day for a filling, festive lunch or snack.
Blend Your Way to Health!
April 15, 2010 by Marni Wasserman
Filed under Delicious Recipes, Featured Articles!, For Your Health!, Nourishing Resources, SMOOTHIES, Super Foods
My Article in Tonic Toronto, April 2010 Issue
Learn how to make your next Smoothie!
It’s official – making smoothies is my favourite way to start the day!
Also, with spring on the horizon, the desire to eat a heavy meal diminishes. So making a daily batch of liquid goodness seems like the perfect plan!
Not only do refreshing smoothies give you energy first thing in the morning – they are also so much fun to make. Everyday I create a new theme in my blender using different flavours and textures – but they all have one thing in common – they are packed full of raw, organic, fruits, vegetables and superfoods!
Making a smoothie is the easiest way to absorb a whole bunch of nutrients all at once. They can be full of fiber and vitamins and depending on what you put into them you can also get your daily dose of protein, antioxidants and healthy fats.
Why not indulge… and drink your next meal? What could be more delicious than a creamy smoothie that fills you up and gives your body the nutrition and vitality that it requires to thrive? There really is no better answer…so let me tell you five simple reasons why you should be making smoothies and blending your way to health!
Time Saver – Smoothies take all of 5 to 10 minutes to make (depending on how prepared you are), can be taken on the go and will last all day in a stainless steel bottle.
Easy to Absorb – Liquids are easier to digest and allow nutrients to absorb into your cells for immediate uptake.
All -in -One – You can get a “whole” lot of goodness into one blender – Vitamins, protein, carbohydrates and fat!
Super Fun– Enjoy the “process” and get creative with colourful ingredients and textures (add granola and eat it with a spoon!)
Liquid Energy – Use superfoods to give you a boost (no booster juice!!!). Make your own blend and enjoy in the morning, afternoon or pre/post work out!
You are in luck because I have provided simple steps on to make the perfect smoothie every day.
How to blend your way to health:
These can be made in any blender (but a Vitamix or BlendTech are highly recommended!).
- Start with 2 cups of liquid – rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk or coconut water
- Choose your protein (2 tbsp. or more)– raw brown rice protein (I like Sun Warrior), hemp protein, hemp hearts or almonds
- Choose your fruit (1/2 – 1 cup of either)– blueberries, raspberries, banana, mango, avocado or dates
- Choose your green (one handful)– spinach, kale, chard, sprouts, cucumber or (1 tsp) greens powder, spirulina or chlorella
- Choose your superfoods – (1 tablespoon of one or more) goji berries, cacao nibs, maca, mesquite, hemp seeds, raw honey, chia seeds or matcha green tea
Have fun and get creative!
Marni Wasserman
Is a natural personal chef and holistic nutritionist.
www.marniwasserman.com
My Growing Garden!
April 12, 2010 by Marni Wasserman
Filed under For Your Health!, Nourishing Resources, Super Foods
If you have been reading my blog for over a year then you would remember that I have a garden. Last year was the first year that I had a full edible garden with all the fixings…it was great. The growing beauties in my garden made for amazing local produce in my cooking classes and supplied greens for my morning green juices everyday (all the way until December – can you believe it!). But this year my garden is going to be bigger and better (literally)! I am so excited that I want to share this experience with you – from it’s very early sprouting stages…right now – all they way until its full growth! So right now I have all kinds of goodies germinating and starting to grow – along with a barrier or garlic to protect my little green babies from rabbits, squirrels etc… at least that is what the gardener said – let’s hope it works. I am going to have a full yield most likely starting the end of April – so if you are lucky enough to be attending one of my DELICIOUS COOKING CLASSES this spring and summer- you will have the honour of tasting veggies right from the source! Planted and sprouting so far is radishes, arugula, Swiss chard, parsley, kale, collards, carrots and at least 3 different kinds of lettuce. There is more, I know there is! Of course there is also more to be planted at different stages throughout the season…looking forward to that!
I also have a compost system going in place, so that all the goodies from my organic waste in my kitchen can be recycled right back into the earth as it makes new soil for growing seasons to come. Very exciting!
I can’t emphasize how exciting it is to see growth in my backyard! To be able to harvest and use greens and veggies right away – there is no comparison! I wish I had the knowledge of how to do this myself but luckily I am getting some help. That way hopefully at some point, I will have an understanding of how to do it myself…but for now – I love having the help and the education and I will just need to stick to what I do best – using the veggies from my garden in delicious and nutritious recipes!
April 12th/2010 – Stage 1
Little sprouts of arugula and parsley starting in a mini greenhouse!

Arugula, garlic shoots, and chard starting to pop up

Newest addition to the garden – for more yield to maximize sunlight!

Most herbs will be here, basil, dill, rosemary, thyme

JUNE 2010 UPDATE ON MY GARDEN!!!
Look whats growing….so exciting!

All my herbs and extra lettuce!

New Garden Bed with Lettuce, Cucumber, Kale, Chard, Peas and Stevia

Strawberry Bush

The Main Garden – Zucchini, Lettuces, Kale, Chard, Beets, Cabbage Leaves

I LOVE Golden Beets!

Minty Greens!
Please let me know if you have a garden or compost!
What are you growing?
What do you love to make, cook, prepare with your organic veggies?
Stirring Things Up!
July 20, 2009 by Marni Wasserman
Filed under Delicious Recipes, For Your Health!, MAINS
It’s always good to stir things up every now and then. Whether it is in a salad bowl, a pot of soup, a blender or a wok – it is easy to make a nutritious meal out of a combination of great ingredients. As simple as it is to make a stir fry, I find that often people are very intimidated to “stir” things up in their own kitchen. I often get asked by my clients or participants at workshops and even in my cooking classes – “what do I put into a stir fry? how many veggies can I use? what type of protein should I use? how do I make a “healthy” Teriyaki sauce?” These are all great questions, but it is much easier than people think to make a great stir-fry. I just tell people to just get creative and have fun! What you need to get started is a wok or a large stainless steel pan. I use stainless steel cookware for my pots, pans and woks- they are great quality, conduct the best heat, non coated and rarely get burned or have stuff stuck to them – so in essence perfect for a stir fry! Once you have that all set, get your stove top turned up to high heat, throw a little grapeseed oil or coconut oil in the pan (two great oils for high heat cooking) and start stirring. You need to be quick, small movements, always keep the veggies moving. Don’t ever let them stay in one spot for too long. You want to cook them, but just a little – a really good stir fry will have crisp, tender and colourful veggies – that are just lightly cooked. There is nothing worse then a wilted brown, dark and soggy stir fry!
What I love about making stir fry’s – is that you can get as creative as you want and just throw anything in there. You can make a different combination every time! So there really should be no stress about choosing the right vegetables. For starters it is always good to have some onions, celery and carrots, they provide a great base. Then go crazy with anything like kale, broccoli, bok choy, peppers, bean sprouts, snap peas, green beans to zucchini and even eggplant. For my delicious bowl of goodness (photo above) this week I grabbed a whole bunch of fresh veggies from my garden (kale, carrots, broccoli, snap peas) added some purple cabbage and combined them with marinated Tempeh, Spelt/Buckwheat Soba Noodles and a simple “Teriyaki” sauce (you can just make some extra sauce and use that to marinate the tempeh).
Then I topped it with homemade sprouted mung beans. This just added a little extra boost of protein and raw enzymes to my meal to keep it fresh, light and crunchy!
So next time you want to stir things up, don’t be afraid! Grab some veggies, cook up some buckwheat noodles or brown rice, top it with marinated tempeh (or tofu, organic chicken, wild fish) for a change, and you will have yourself a nutritious and satisfying dinner!
Simple Teriyaki Sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger
juice of one orange
1-2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup







