Where's the Food?

We recently moved from a downtown loft to a house in suburbia. The kitchen was a very important part of our purchase, but we mostly got the house based on its fabulous location. Many of the houses we looked at had tiny kitchens with limited counter space. We were used to our huge island and having lots of room to move around and entertain in the kitchen. We did also gain a pantry and extra cupboards in the house. We even splurged to get a convection and induction range.

While checking the house out, a friend commented how empty the pantry was. I guess I agreed, although it definitely wasn't 'empty', but that's probably pretty close to how it will always be. I know I have a child under one year old, so I'm sure our food situation will expand as her appetite grows. However, I enjoy and have the flexibility to get fresh items often. I do cook in big batches, but only as much as our fridge/freezer can hold. I know we're in a North American bulk purchasing society, but that doesn't tend to be the way my husband and I shop or consume and it appears that helps our waistlines too. Although, I must admit that I recently stocked up on diapers (so our daughter is already changing things).

I enjoy throwing random ingredients together and trying new recipes. I often seek out google and type in a few items that I want to use together and see what recipes or images inspire me. I also often try to use up the items in my pantry. For example, I'll look and see that we have a lot of rice, or canned beans, or dried fruit and that will lead to a creation. Thus, I tend not to have a full pantry although I do have my staples, as I'm sure you do too. I guess this works really well with my attempt at living a minimalist lifestyle, even though that wasn't my intention, it's just how I approach the kitchen. It also helps me keep the kitchen somewhat clean and inviting.

It's not like my kitchen has no food, but it's also not heavily stocked (compared to some or depending on the day of the week). I started reading Brian Wansink's Slim by Design recently and he mentions that empty kitchens often lead to bigger waistlines - because people are eating out more. We use our kitchen a lot, but I think if it was full I might be overwhelmed. With a few key things on hand, I can figure out my meals for the week and reduce our waste, so it helps me be mindful too. This means we try all kinds of meals and is a handy way to help those with a strict food budget.

How do you approach your kitchen or pantry?

Happy cooking!
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

Beefed Up Hamburger Soup {ReDux}

The nights have definitely been cooling off, the Canadian geese look like they're getting ready for a journey south and my iced coffees are now just coffee - yes it's 'back-to-school' time for most people. I have a few teachers in my life, so it's back to work for them too. 

I often feel that September is a time to get back in the kitchen, get back into activities, and get re-organized as lake time comes to an end. The ladies at the Recipe ReDux were thinking the same things, since this month's theme is:

Back to the Dinner Table - After the hustle and bustle of the holiday/vacation season, August is the time many families get ‘back to routine.’ Show us your favorite recipe to help families get ‘back to the dinner table.’ It might be a favorite family recipe from your childhood that you’ve ReDuxed; or maybe it’s your family’s current favorite. Let’s all gather back at the table!

Right away I thought of big batch cooking, as I prefer to prep and cook once and eat multiple times when things get busy, or freeze some for a later date. Perhaps family members will have to eat at different times, or maybe a big batch is the way to sneak in a sit down family meal. Since I also had family on my mind, I decided to tweak one of my mom's recipes. As I said, it's getting colder here, so I'm more open to warm dishes like hearty soups.

I started with my mom's hamburger soup and added lentils and a more few vegetables to 'beef it up". I also thought it was funny that I 'beefed it up" by adding lentils! This way I feel like soup can become a meal and I find it's a great way to get more vegetables in, or even to use up your garden goodies. I used ground beef, but I'm sure you could use chicken or turkey as well. I also usually make it on the stove (as a one pot meal), but I'm sure I successfully made the original version in the slow cooker once too.

Beefed Up Hamburger Soup

Ingredients

0.5 to 1.0 lbs of lean or extra lean ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

28 oz (796 ml) can diced tomatoes, no salt added

3 medium carrots, diced

2 zucchini, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup barley, rinsed

1/2 cup dry green lentils, rinsed

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

3 cups of water

4 cups of beef broth/stock

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Brown the meat and cook the onions (3-5 minutes), drain fat.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients (nice and easy). 

3. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least 1.5 - 2 hours, stirring often.

I did have a little 'help' in the kitchen this month too!

Eat up,

Steph Langdon, RD

something nutrishus

www.nutrishus.com

An InLinkz Link-up

Eat the way you do yoga - a reflection

My sister-in-law invited me to free yoga in the park on Sunday (from The Better Good, led by OneYoga). It was a beautiful morning and I felt lucky to be outside and have my baby at home with my husband. I think I even managed to do a decent job of being in the moment and focusing on the class.

Of course, my mind did wander, and I found myself reflecting on the class (while I was in the class). That's pretty good mind wandering if I say so myself - I wasn't thinking of to-do lists (as I often do) or other places to be, or the people around me. I even reflected on the idea that we did a lot of reflecting in university and I actually do a lot of it lately, often via this blog.

There were lots of people out - all ages, sizes, and fitness levels, but we were all there together. This made me start thinking about how hard people are on themselves when it comes to healthy eating. There is a lot of all-or-nothing thinking. When attending an all-levels yoga class, we are all going at our own pace, comfort level, and based on how our body feels. Yet, with food, we expect to be like everyone else. We're all different.

Yoga instructors often say to focus on your own mat, not to look at what other's around you are doing. Yet, again with food, we make judgments, we want to follow another person's diet, we want to look like a picture in a magazine or on instagram, we examine what or how much we ate compared to others. We are all at a different place on our journey towards health. The important thing is that we show up!

It's not that you 'just' did yoga (because someone else ran 21km, etc.), it's that you did yoga - you took time for yourself, for your health. All of these little things add up, so stop saying 'just'!

Throughout the class we were encouraged to try different postures, given alternatives if needed, and reminded that it was okay to fall out of a pose, but to come right back. With the all-or-nothing thinking many people have with food, they expect perfection or place restrictive rules on themselves, rather than accepting that balance and moderation are more sustainable and it's okay to occasionally eat the 'less healthy' or 'choose less often' types of food - I know I do. We also have to remember that it's okay to indulge, but that we need to come back to our goals at the next eating opportunity, it's about progress, not perfection. We were reminded that it's call yoga practice, because we're working on improving ourselves. I often talk about practicing nutrition for sports, but it's the same for everyday. We can't expect to change a lifetime of habits overnight, it takes practice.

We were also reminded to lift the corners of our lips - to smile. This made me think about mindfulness and also the enjoyment of food. I love food, as do most dietitians, it's part of the reason we got into nutrition in the first place. I aim to eat healthy most of the time. I think about adding vegetables or fruit to meals. I try to balance out my days and not go too long without eating. I am tempted by sweets in my house. I enjoy a good meal and glass of wine with my husband. Food should be something we can smile about, if we're lucky enough to have access to adequate amounts and are able to make choices to include the items we like. It shouldn't be something we fear or stress about.

While doing yoga, we're supposed to be there, doing yoga. I was reflecting, so I still need to work on that, but it's also a reminder that when we're eating, we should just be eating. Get rid of the distractions, slow down, find time to taste your food and be grateful for it. Some yoga teachers also ask you to set an intention for the practice, again something we can easily do each day for our eating or our goals.

That's how my yoga session went. Have you reflected on anything recently? Feel free to share below!

Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

6 Words That Currently Define Me...

There may be certain words, phrases, quotes, or terms that resonate with you and stick with you. Sometimes I read a quote and it feels like it was written for me, or that the person was saying it to me; it feels like that's what I needed to read/hear in that moment. Quotes definitely inspire me, give me perspective, and help me stay on my path to becoming the best version of myself. At times I wonder (and my husband wonders) where my ideas/thoughts come from, as he and I think very differently about a few things.

I've been thinking about moderation, minimalism, and mindfulness lately. These words, along with happiness, health, and habits (yes, I like alliteration) seem to be terms that I come back to and that help me focus my efforts, my blog posts, and the work I choose to accept and pursue. These words might not speak to you, but they speak to me. In the 'cheesy' sense, I thought I would actually define them for you today. I say 'cheesy' because it makes me think of wedding moments on television "webster's dictionary defines love as..." (you know what I mean). Since I use these words often, I thought it was a good idea to check out their definitions to make sure they say/mean what I want them to.

1. moderation: (moderate): average in size or amount -neither too much nor too little; neither very good nor very bad; not expensive - not too high in price; avoiding extremes of behavior or expression -  observing reasonable limits
2. minimalism:  a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity
3. mindfulness: the quality or state of being mindful; the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis; also :  such a state of awareness
4. happiness: the state of being happy; an experience that makes you happy (*not a surprising definition, but I do appreciate that it says experience - not a thing)
5. health: the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit; especially :  freedom from physical disease or pain; the general condition of the body; flourishing condition (well-being)
6. habits: a usual way of behaving : something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way

I also like the terms inspiration, motivation, etc. but I don't think I need to keep defining things for you, I just thought this would be an interesting activity.

Do you have terms that guide you or help you through your day (or this journey we call life)?

Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus
www.nutrishus.com

Bruschetta Salad {ReDux}

July 21 and I'm ready with my ReDux post! For once, I was actually organized (I typically am, this mom thing just makes things harder!). This month's theme was Fresh from the Garden -The season of bountiful produce has arrived. Whether your produce comes from the Farmers Market, a CSA share, or a plot of dirt out back, show how you are using fresh July fruits or veggies. And if you have gardening successes – or failures – please share!

We just moved into our house in June, and the yard will likely be next year's project, so I don't have a garden of my own. I'm also not sure if I have a green thumb, but I have some in my social circles (hence the garden fresh basil in this recipe - thanks Jolene!). I have been enjoying Canadian grown summer fruit (cherries, nectarines) and picked fresh Saskatoon berries at our lake, but right away, my thoughts went to tomatoes for this post.

I love a good, garlicky bruschetta, but I also enjoy salads this time of year - I mean, do you really want to heat up the house with the stove?! So, a combo was my end goal. I made croutons, which I usually don't, because I think of bruschetta with a crispy bread. I also left some options depending on if you're using this as a side dish or an entree, or if you're not a big fan of onion, for example.

Bruschetta Salad

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

salad

4 ripe, roma tomatoes, de-seeded and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2-4 cups of fresh spinach, washed and torn

1/4 cup feta, crumbled

1-2 Tbsp red onion, diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

croutons (optional)

1 1/2 cups bread, cubed (I used leftover multigrain artisan bread)

1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Croutons: Heat oven to 375F. Drizzle 1/2 Tbsp olive oil on baking sheet. Add cubed bread, drizzle remaining 1/2 Tbsp and lightly toss to coat. Make sure bread is spread out. Place in pre-heated oven and bake for about 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Check and shake pan about every 2 minutes for even cooking.

2. Let croutons cool.

3. Combine salad ingredients and toss. Add olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

4. Mix in croutons and serve.

So simple, so flavourful, and a recipe I will definitely be making again!

See below for other garden inspired ideas and enjoy the rest of your summer! 

Steph Langdon, RD

something nutrishus

www.nutrishus.com

An InLinkz Link-up

Top 5 from the last five

Today I celebrate officially starting my business, Something Nutrishus Counselling & Coaching, 5 years ago on July 7, 2010. A lot has changed in that time, but I'm still here, I'm still self-employed, and I'm still able to pay my bills.

I have gradually been redefining my business as I figure out my passion, niche, motherhood, and areas I want to work in. After five years at this, I am able to be a bit pickier, but I still struggle to say no at times (I think it's the entrepreneurial concern of where the next pay cheque is coming from).

I can't say these are my top 5 memories or learnings, or the best of the last five years, but these are the notable things that came to me when writing this post and reflecting on how I got to today.

1) I am fortunate to have the support of my loving husband.
I could not do this without him. He helps in so many ways and I often feel like he's my business partner as I bounce ideas off of him, seek his advice, and seek his embrace when I get overwhelmed. He's my biggest fan and has always believed that I could work for myself and be successful (even when he has to help me define my success).

2) I do what I do for the freedom and flexibility.
I am not rolling in cash, but I am able to contribute to our household. Instead, I am able to enjoy the moments when I get to take my dog for a walk mid-afternoon, join a friend for coffee, spend time with my daughter, spend time in the kitchen, and be my own boss.

3) Self-employment is hard work.
My husband (refer to #1) often reminds me that many people have ideas, but few act upon them. I figured out in university that I was likely going to end up in private practice. I spent time emailing other dietitians, networking with other entrepreneurs, and going back and forth between loving what I was doing and wondering if I was crazy for choosing to do it. I now have a 7 month old daughter, and being self-employed means no formal maternity leave, but for me it also hopefully means more time with her each year, not just her first.

4) Having an off button is important.
Most people go to work, come home, and leave their work at work. For various reasons there are some people who are not able to do that (myself included). Perhaps they have clients contacting them at all hours and expecting responses, they love their work and surround themselves with it intentionally (ie. reading about the subject in their spare time for continued understanding and improvement). For me, I am always thinking about social media posts, helping/inspiring others and trying to stay up on the field (although I keep being reminded that I'll never 'catch up' and that my to-do lists will never be complete).

5) I love that I can evolve and change what I do.
I often have too many ideas of what I could do, so I have to have perspective and bring myself into focus. However, it's great to look back on what I've done, who I've worked with, and how I have found focus in my chosen career. I don't know what the future holds (as I have so many ideas), but I look forward to figuring it out as I learn more about myself and what I want to do when I grow up!

I googled top 5 lists and thought these two sites were interesting if you like lists and have time to spare (or waste):
- the top 5 of anything
- top 5 lists (daily lists from well-known personalities)

Thanks for the support and for reading over the years,

Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus
www.nutrishus.com

6 Things I Learned From A Busy Month

I feel like I have at least a dozen blog post ideas in me as this month comes to an end. Some I have jotted down (as you may know, I love making lists) - hmmm, maybe I should make a few list related posts?! Too many ideas, and too little time - I must create an editorial schedule!

It's been a busy month that included a family trip to Quebec City so that I could attend meetings and a conference. This meant a lot of daughter-daddy time for my loves. Of course we enjoyed touring the city and eating great food, as well as the work that I did (*food tour post coming soon). Upon returning home, we received keys to our new home and the move began. We also celebrated father's day for the first time in our home, and I wasn't able to contribute to this month's Recipe Redux - so I'll have to be on top of that for July!

Now I look at the calendar and feel the need to reflect back on a few things that I have learned (or been reminded of) over the last 30 or so days.

1. My minimalist efforts helped with moving
I don't think many (or any) people enjoy the actual act of moving, they just want to reach the destination. With packing and unpacking, it did feel better knowing I had thinned our stuff in the last year or so, but it still felt like we had a lot (more work to be done). It's just a reminder that minimalism is a lifestyle, so I can continue to go through our house and thin things out so that I can spend more time enjoying life, rather than taking care of, cleaning, and organizing our stuff.

2. I don't want to be someone that "does it all"
This feels like a recent revelation. My husband would easily say that I try to do too much, analyze things to deeply, or get caught up in comparisons at times (another reason for me to unplug and get off social media more often). I think I always planned to be the type of mom that people would say, "how does she do it all?" until I recently realized that I'd rather be someone that people say "wow, she has a lot of free time" or "she's so happy" - not that I need people to comment at all, but it's taken me about 30 years to realize that I don't need to do what everyone else does, I don't have anyone's standards that I need to meet, and getting things done isn't what life is all about (although I thrive off a sense of accomplishment). This is probably obvious to a lot of people, but I think (I know) I'm too hard on myself because I expect too much at times. This revelation helps me to enjoy moments with my family or reading a "just because" type of book for enjoyment.
 
3. I enjoy unplugging
I recently shared a post reminding us to enjoy the weekend - not just photograph it, but live it. Last night I saw a commercial form Dixie - I like the underlying message to "Be More Here" and reduce distractions for family meals, etc. by going "Dark for Dinner". We know there are many reasons to eat together and be mindful in those moments. I sometimes feel like we're missing out on life by surrounding ourselves with screens. I will continue to aim for moderation with my use of media and electronics, as there is so much more I can do with my time.

4. I'm getting better at enjoying the little things
There are many components or dimensions to health and wellness - often people mention:

• physical
• emotional
• social
• intellectual
• environmental
• spiritual
• occupational
• etc.

Where we now live is almost like a new lifestyle. We have nature to look at (rather than a television) and I'm unplugging more, allowing myself more time for my hobbies/passions etc. which is all very important for overall health and stress reducation. We often think about eating well and exercise, but it's also important to find time for family and "me time". I hope my months ahead don't feel busy, but feel happy (and for personal contentment - productive in some way!)

5. I definitely value experiences over things
This relates to points above. I'm happy to have less things in my house and be able to spend more time enjoying the house and yard. We have some work to do, but a minimalistic focus will help us choose wisely and prevent us from filling our house with needless things. This should also help us save money for more trips, as we enjoy traveling and our daughter is pretty good at it so far.

6. Blogging helps me continue to learn about myself
I tend to post more about moderation, mindfulness, and minimalism or personal development and reflection with a bit of nutrition information here or there and a few recipes. I have high hopes/goals and ideas for the blog, but I still haven't nailed anything down yet. I know my lack of career goals at this point makes me feel like I'm wandering aimlessly at times, but I'm also still adapting to the new role as mom - a role I always wanted to play (you could say it's been my dream job). As much as I always wanted to be a mom and am grateful for the opportunity, I am still trying to figure out the balance of being mom, me, wife, and an entrepreneur.

How was your month?

Enjoy what's left of June!

Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com