Saturday, September 17, 2011

Fall Accessories Wish List

Here are a few things I am keeping in mind for accessories this fall. It would be a cold day you-know-where before I spent $100 on a wallet, but it sure did inspire me. The feel this fall is for natural, boho seventies. So fun and easy! 

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: endless.com via Alice on Pinterest

Sunday, September 11, 2011

DIY Granola Bars

In my quest to eat better and remove processed food from my diet I have had to get creative. One thing I ate nearly constantly was Nature's Valley Granola Bars. There is nothing really terrible about them except their long ingredient list. (Check it out here:Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars) I figured it was an easy place to start and I could make some of my own variations. The recipe I have included can be changed up as you please. Happy Baking!



DIY Granola as You Please


1 Cup Old Fashion Oats (not quick cooking)
½ Cup Sliced Almonds
¼ Cup Unsalted and Shelled Sunflower Seeds
1 Cup Shredded an Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (loosely packed)
½ Cup Toasted Wheat Germ
1 Cup Puffed Rice Cereal (can be cocoa-ed)
½ Cup Raisins
⅔ Cup Dark Pure Maple Syrup (or 1/3 Cup Honey and 1/3 Cup Molasses)
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (or substitute)
¼ Light Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt
Parchment Paper

Preheat your oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. I always use parchment when toasting nuts and oats to keep the flavor in the mix and not on the pan. Toss together the oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, and coconut flakes. Trim down the parchment paper to the edge of the baking sheet to prevent burning. Place these in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes stir occasionally to keep from burning. 

While the baking sheet is in the oven place the maple syrup, butter, vanilla, brown sugar, and salt in a sauce pan and warm over medium-low heat. Stir to prevent burning to the bottom. 

Pour the wheat germ, cereal, and raisins in a large mixing bowl.  Add the oat mixture from the oven and the syrup mixture from the stove to the mixing bowl. Stir quickly and gently with a rubber or silicone spatula. This gets sticky as it cools (like Rice Crispy Treats) so work quick!

Transfer to a parchment paper lined 13 x9 cake pan, trim paper down. and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Cool completely and eat!



Monday, September 5, 2011

My Food Revolution and Yours Too.


Hello Readers!,
I want to apologize for my absence. My mind has been flooded with the idea of “eating to prevent and cure”. It sounds insane but many doctors and scientists have found which foods help us and which ones hurt us. The idea is if you have something wrong with you eat certain foods and avoid certain foods. When you are healthy avoid foods that in the long term make you sick. Crazy talk!
Sounds simple? In a way it is, but when you have to sort out what some of your health goals. For myself I wanted to lessen my allergies (I was tired of prescription side affects), stop having acne breakouts (I have tried literally every product on the market!), and lose those pesky muffin top pounds (duh). Luckily, my problems all fell into some of the same food categories. I can honestly say when I stick to what I have learned my face is clear (inside and out) and my weight is much less of a beast. 
I started my food journey earlier this year and this past month I have really learned about how vast this idea spread. I started with an Anti-Inflammation “diet”. I use “diet” loosely as it conjures up terrible images. The basics are no white flour, refined sugar, or processed foods. (Many other rules that are different for everyone also came into play.) Difficult. These new rules where tough to live by, but once the ball was rolling and I could breathe, skip concealer, and sit with my pants buttoned all at the same time I became a believer. 
What you put into your body affects it and the more you are aware of the make up of your food the healthier you will be. This started my interest in what is being dubbed the “Food Revolution”. An entire movement of people have shed light on the food industry. WARNING: You cannot unlearn what you will learn if you watch and read he material I suggest. 
Food has somehow become political. People don’t want to tell you what or how your food gets to your plate (or eeek Styrofoam box). Sadly, most people don’t want to know. If you are like me and want to live without illness, prescriptions, and pesky pounds come to the revolution! If you are prepared to learn I have suggested some documentaries below. Extracurricular research is highly recommended and encouraged. I am by no means an expert, but I recommend learning for yourself and your friends and family. 
Click on any of the pictures below for more information. 
Food Inc. 
Possibly the most common of the food documentaries out there right now. PBS airs it every now and then. This one focuses on Industrial farming and where you food has been before it gets to your plate. Also, it has quite a bit of info on how the government allows companies to patent soy beans and other naturally occurring foods by simply engineering their genes. Creepy. 

Forks Over Knives
This documentary focus on a plant based diet and its health benefits. Doctors who have done long term studies on the benefits of veganism are interviewed. They compare our cultures obsession with dairy against eastern cultures lack there of. 
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead
This one was so inspirational! It is the story of one man trying to cure his mysterious illness, which (shocker!) is cured by a dietary change. Along the way he meets another man with the same illness and transforms that mans life, who in turn transforms the lives of all the people in his town. In a final story twist he saves his own brother after a heart attack. Hollywood could not have written such a touching story. Tears, literally tears of joy for these people. 

Foodmatters
This is the best one if you have any illness. It is very to the point about foods that can save your life and even reverse illness. 

I highly recommend all of these. Don't worry about making all of these changes at once, it takes time to not want to murder some one over a DQ Blizzard, pepperoni pizza, or Diet Coke. Trust me. Any knowledge and changes you can make now are for the better. I hope this helped you! 
Love Alice