We are mom and dad, who in addition to being parents, do research on healthy lifestyle and cancer. We would like to achieve a healthy, balanced and meaningful life. In our pursuit, we sift the healthy from the unhealthy, the simple from the complicated advice. The blog also includes random musings on topics other than health and parenting. Send us a message at applyforlife@gmail.com, mikelifesteer@gmail.com or through the contact form in the sidebar.
Christmas and New Year mark our lifetime in a more profound way than any other holidays. This is the time when most of us pause all frantic activities, re-evaluate and plan.
Therefore, it is a good time for inspiration and learning.
Below I have compiled some of my recent inspirations. I hope that you find them useful in preparing for your own holidays.
A week ago, I discovered a new YouTube channel, Picking up limes, dedicated to “foodies, minimalists, travellers and all beautiful souls”.
The creator of the channel, Sadia, promises “a calm and relaxing space with … videos that help to nourish the cells and the soul.” I watched many of the videos and believe that Sadia delivers on her promises.
You could also visit her website. I am looking forward to some free time to read the blog and dive into Sadia’s recipes.
Update: I made these Sadia's pancakes last night and they turned out pretty good. I did not have buckwheat flour, instead, used whole wheat flour. I also used water instead of plant-based milk and sprayed my pan with olive oil instead of using coconut oil.
How to keep relaxed and calm, and yet have amazing holidays?
I am aesthetically and visually driven person. Looking at creative arrangements and decorations for the holidays inspire me and allow me to bring more energetic spirit into my house, break the monotony of our everyday routine.
Here are three blogs that are a feast for the senses and might inspire you to put together an unexpected background for the seasonal celebrations:
What are the holidays without the warmth and enticing aromas of baked dishes, cookies and breads?
I am not a fan of sugar or any cakes, but this gorgeous gingerbread village cake presentation inspired me to concoct my own version of a minimal-sugar cake.
I am planning on using two layers of my banana brownie recipe and a raspberry-coconut filling to "build" my own Christmas cake.
I decided to resort to my backyard for Christmas 2017 decorations. Yesterday, the weather cooperated with my intention, and I foraged for everything that was still green. The result is below.
This Holiday season, I am a big fan of the Christmas videos put together by Jenny Mustard. The videos awakened my Christmas spirit. I admit - in the days before the Holidays, my Christmas spirit is somewhat muffled by the work, the worries about the future and the overall media noise.
I learned a few neat ideas from Jenny, such as this one of gifting a list of “dreams come true”.
You can watch Jenny's video THE MOST ROMANTIC CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER, a very mustard xmas #19. In brief, the idea is that you and your closest person/partner write down what your dreams are (e.g., dreams about hobbies, health, travel, etc.), and exchange these lists on Christmas. Your buddy then helps you achieve one of your goals/dreams in the next year.
This gift is great for many reasons, but the best in my view are these two benefits:
First, by writing your list of goals/dreams, you develop a better understanding of yourself: who you are, what you want to achieve, what you want from life, at what stage of your life you are.
Second, your closest person gets to know you better and this makes life so much easier and clearer. We frequently co-exist with our partners without even knowing each others innermost desires and wishes.
This type of gifting is also great for a birthday of a teenager or an adult - it is a nice way to encourage self-reflection and sifting through our values.
I made the snowball cookies, one of my mother's recipes with a few changes. Iused Smart Balance instead of butter, reduced the sugar amount, and used whole wheat flour instead of white flour. The result was pretty good. If I need to tweak something next time, it would be to add more walnuts (instead of 1 cup, I would addup to 2 cups).
I have previously experimented with this recipe by adding raisins to the walnuts (1 cup walnuts and 1 cup raisins), or using only raisins (instead of walnuts).
Have fun when baking cookies and make some healthy changes: for example, try to reduce the sugar further by adding more flavor to the dough with lemon or orange zest. Or use nuts other than walnuts (e.g., almonds, pistachios, etc.).
Next time I bake these cookies, I will reduce the sugar further (to 1/4 cup), by adding 1 cup of walnuts and 1 cup of raisins, and increasing the flavor with a teaspoon or two of rum, an additionalteaspoon of vanilla and orange zest.
I recently discovered that the snowball cookie recipe is very similar to the recipe for Mexican wedding cookies. However, the snowball cookies have eggs in them.
Snowball cookies You need: 2½ cups of whole wheat flour, 1 cup Smart Balance (or butter), 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup (or more) cut walnuts, 2 tsps vanilla, and for covering the cookies: 2 Tbsp powdered sugar mixed with 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder.
Directions: Combine flour and Smart Balance by hand until the mixture resembles crumbs. Beat together the eggs, vanilla and granulated sugar, and add them to the dough. Add the walnuts. Mix the dough by hand, shape into balls of one inch in diameter. Bake on a cookie sheet (covered with a no-stick spray) at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. While the cookies are still warm, roll in white powdered sugar*.
*To reduce the amount of powdered sugar, use one part powdered sugar and one part arrowroot powder.
How less sinful are these home-made cookies compared to the store-bought ones?According to my calculations, one snowballcookie has 2.0 - 2.5 g of sugar. Store-bought cookies contain anywhere from 3 to 8 grams of sugar. This Holiday season, when you reach for the cookie jar, consider that added sugar is difficult to keep track of (it is in everything we eat today, even breads and soups have it). How many cookies can you eat "guilt-free" a day? I would probably stop eating after the fourth snowball cookie.
My teen will have a small get together with her friends these days, so I decided to prepare a cocoa/tea bar with some treats. Of course, I would go against my beliefs, if I load the cookies and breads with sugar and white flour. Therefore, I will try to modify every single recipe.
The first treat I have alreadypreparedis this of walnut chocolates with turmeric. I have previously posted this recipe, but for the teens, I skipped the cayenne pepper. The next batch will be coconut chocolates.
Meanwhile, I am experimenting with an oatmeal cookie recipe that has several substitutions (healthy ones).
My kitchen is my laboratory, so I bravely modify recipes according to my most current interpretations of the dietary recommendations. Below is what I used, and this batch of cookies came out great. Not too sweet, and yet with a wonderful, strong taste.
Oatmeal cookies You will need: 1 cup Smart Balance (you can find this butter substitute next to the butter in any supermarket), 1 cup granulated sugar (or you can try less), 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla, 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour, 3 cups Quaker oats, 2 Tbsp cinnamon, 1tsp baking soda. 1 cup raisins.
Directions: Preheat the oven at 350°F. Soften the Smart Balance in the microwave for a few seconds. Beat together eggs, Smart Balance and vanilla. Add the pre-mixed dry ingredients and raisins. Combine with a wooden spoon or by hand. Drop a spoon or so on cookie sheets covered with a no-stick spray. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
