Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles & Strawberry Chia Jam

This is one of my favourite times of the year, there is nothing like the smell and taste of fresh local strawberries. I always buy in bulk and freeze a large amount so we can have local strawberries all winter long in our desserts, smoothies & baking.

When freezing I remove the stems, wash the strawberries and then lay them out on parchment lined baking sheets. I will freeze them like this then pop them in a container or ziploc bag to avoid them freezing in one large clump.

We are finding lots of different ways to use the strawberries right now such as throwing in salads & adding them to smoothies & pancakes as well as popsicles & chia jam and I thought I would share these quick & easy recipes with you below.

Strawberry & Watermelon Popsicles

With the hot weather here, my boys are always asking for freezies, ice cream and popsicles and yes we have those things in the house but I also like to make my own as with any home made recipe they are more likely to contain real food ingredients and less refined sugar and chemicals.

These strawberry/watermelon popsicles were a hit with my boys, click here for the recipe.

Strawberry Chia Jam

My boys love jam, especially Sam, he always wants that on his toast in the morning but some jam recipes can call for up to 4 cups of white sugar, now that’s not what I would call healthy.

Instead I make this strawberry chia jam which only has 3 ingredients and only 1 tablespoon of honey. Now that’s more like it. Click here for the recipe.

Enjoy!

Mel

Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats

I really love this time of year when the fresh local produce starts appearing at the Farmers Markets and grocery stores.

Before I learned about nutrition I never took notice where produce came from, all I knew was I could go to the store and get whatever I needed without even considering where it had travelled from.

Fast forward 12 years to now, I am always looking. I don’t want to be buying garlic from China or Asparagus from Mexico when I can get it locally. Not only does it taste way better but you are supporting your local farmers who work so hard to provide us with delicious food.

I often get asked whether I prefer organic over locally grown non-organic produce and even meat and dairy. My answer is no. I will always support local first. Alot of the smaller farms can’t afford to go through the lengthy and expensive organic certification process but when you get to know your farmers and ask them about their farming practices you will learn that they are very clean and some even follow many of the organic processes.

I know things are looking a little different this year but Farmers Markets such as Orangeville are still opening whether for in person or curbside pick up. If you can’t make these then check out other resources such as the one listed below to find your local farmers:

Headwaters Food & Farming Farm Fresh Directory

Zucchini is another delicious food that is in season right now, it’s anti-inflammatory, high in antioxidants, nutrients & fiber and makes a great low-carb pasta option, can be thrown into smoothies or baking, just to name a few uses.

If you want to try out some zucchini this week, check out my delicious Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boat recipe, my whole family loved it (even the picky one!)

Enjoy

Mel

New Recipe: Shrimp Satay Stir Fry

My husband and boys have been on at me for a while to make a peanut satay sauce and today I managed to get some alone time in the kitchen to do some creating.

I used this recipe with shrimp as that’s a favourite with my boys but it could also be used with chicken, pork or tofu.

There will be lots of leftover sauce so pop it in the fridge to use another time.

Click here to get the recipe and try it out for one of your weeknight dinners next week.

Enjoy

Mel x

 

New Recipe: Pear & Blueberry Crisp

I’m not sure what has happened, maybe it was the New Moon last week or maybe it’s my full surrender to this current situation but all of a sudden my kitchen inspiration is flowing.

When this happens, I just go with it and get in the kitchen to create and this week so far I have created 2 new recipes. I’m only sharing one with you right now, the other will be on its way soon, I promise.

Dessert in the Grime house is not a regular occurrence. We only tend to have it if we’re having people over or it’s a Sunday dinner and as we have been socially distancing  for the past few weeks there hasn’t been much of that at all.

This creation was as a result of too many pears in the house that needed to be used up and to be honest I’m not a pear lover but I was determined to find something delicious to do with them.

This led to my brand new recipe, a pear and blueberry crisp, which is both gluten and dairy free. My kids love both pears and blueberries so I knew this would be a winner. I hope it is with your family too.

Click here to get the recipe and try making a treat for your family to enjoy.

Mel x

New Recipe – Gluten & Dairy Free Pasta Carbonara

We are into our sixth week of quarantine and I have to admit that my inspiration and creation skills have been lacking. We have been doing alot of baking & cooking from scratch and the kids have been helping out more & more but we have been relying on our standard recipes to get us through.

Our days are probably very similar to many of yours. Homeschooling, getting outside for our daily walks, playing games, watching movies/TV, reading and for myself I have been taking an hour or two every day to get some alone time meditating and connecting on my yoga mat.

Yesterday I had a craving for pasta, I don’t eat pasta alot these days. In my carb junkie days it used to be a staple for me and would be something I would binge eat but now, things are different, the binge eating days are gone.

Dave & the boys idea of pasta is using a creamy sauce loaded with cheese and as I am the only one in my house that is gluten & dairy free this doesn’t work so well for me so I wanted to re-create one of my old favourites that we could all eat and didn’t leave me feeling like I was 6 months pregnant. This led me to create my new gluten & dairy free pasta carbonara.

This dish totally satisfied my craving, was delicious and Dave & Ben loved it too. Sam not so much but he doesn’t like anything mixed together these days!!

I used GoGo Quinoa pasta which is gluten free but to make it grain free you could also use zucchini or butternut squash noodles.

Click here to get the recipe. If you make it, let me know how it turns out. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

If you are lacking inspiration in the kitchen, check out my YouTube channel where I have some other great recipes for you to try out including the ones below:

• Monster Breakfast Cookies
• Elixirs
• Taco Tuesday
• Mel’s Marvelous Meatballs
• Slow Cooker Dijon Pork Tenderloin
• Sam’s Black Bean Brownies

 

 

 

 

 

Big Changes are Happening!

Big changes are happening over here at Melanie Grime RHN.

I have spent the past few months sitting, meditating, being & listening to where I take my business next. For a while now I have felt that I am not on the right path but didn’t know what the next step was but now it has all become clear.

I became a nutritionist because i wanted to learn how to eat delicious food in a simple & healthy way. I wanted to teach my family, friends & clients how to do the same but over the past few years I have been spending more and more time in front of the computer than in the kitchen and I know now that this isn’t going to work anymore.

I know that I can help myself, my family and YOU by stepping away from consulting and back into the kitchen.

We are all on a journey and every single client that comes to see me has a goal, whether it be weight loss, prevention, to get healthy but it’s NOT about the goal. It’s about the process. Everyone can follow a plan for a period of time and maybe reach their goals but there will be more goals and in reality, nothing will change long term if you don’t enjoy, commit and embrace the process. so it becomes a lifestyle.

What is the process? Well, it’s getting back in the kitchen, it’s having fun making food, it’s enjoying the taste of the food and learning how to make it in a simple, healthy & real food way. If you commit to this process then you will reach your goals, surpass your goals and in the end you won’t even need those goals.

I don’t have time to do consulting and experiment in the kitchen so I have made a choice. I believe that I can help YOU more by stepping away from the consulting side and back into the kitchen. I can show you how to have fun, how to create simple healthy meals & snacks that can work not just for you but for EVERYONE & I can’t do this sitting behind a computer, I am no use to you there.

I hope you will come on this journey with me. I haven’t got it all figured out yet and I’m okay with that, let’s just see where it takes us.

I don’t promise to be perfect, actually I can assure you I won’t be. I can’t promise that you will love everything I share but I do promise that we will have alot of fun along the way. You will see my successes & my failures, you will see how we eat in the Grime house – ALL OF IT!  I promise to be real and I so hope that with your help we can build a community around enjoying food again – the creation and tasting of it.

So stay tuned, I will be back soon with my first video but in the meantime, share with me what you need help with in the kitchen as I will do my best to cover it all.

See you soon.

Mel  x

What is Soul Food? Plus a BRAND NEW Soup Recipe

What do I mean by soul food?

I’m not talking about the Southern US style of cuisine, I am talking about food and lifestyle choices that nourish your soul.

As a Holistic Nutritionist I believe that our body and soul  have to be aligned for us to be truly healthy and I am a prime example of that. Two years ago when I was completely burnt out, my eating was super clean but I wasn’t feeding my mind and spirit so they were exhausted and unhappy and I see this in a lot of the beautiful clients that walk into my practice.

It doesn’t just come down to the food. Yes, I really said that. Don’t get me wrong, the food is a big part of it and something I am obviously passionate about but you also need to feed your soul and these are areas that I am constantly seeing be neglected, just like they were with me.

What are foods that can nourish your soul?

When it comes to actual food choices, these will be very unique depending on the individual and may even depend on the day.

I remember a time when I had just finished co-hosting a full day event, I had an hour to pick up the kids, get them home, make dinner then get them to their activities that night. I remember vividly how exhausted I felt. I had nausea and just wanted to curl up and cry but being the perfectionist and control freak that I was, I pushed through it, got them home and proceeded to make a home-made meal from scratch before getting them out the door.

I can look back now and wish someone had been there to shake me and say, “Enough, you are exhausted, just put a frozen pizza in the oven or go to the drive through.” That would have been nourishing my soul, even though the food itself would not have been as nutritious, the stress that I put on myself was more depleting than the food.

This is where things have to change. I am so tired of putting foods into good or bad categories.  I have come to the realization that it’s what your body & soul NEEDS AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME that is key. If that’s a frozen meal or takeout from the local pizza or burger joint then so be it. Be kind to yourself, the last thing you need to put yourself through is more stress and deplete your body and soul.

Also, if you love and I mean LOVE chai spiced lattes from Starbucks and it makes you SO happy to have one of these every day then do it. The joy that this will give you is going to nourish your soul. Now, this is not me giving you permission to be careless about your food and drink choices. If you don’t care about what you’re putting in your mouth and feed your body packaged and processed foods the majority of the time then remember, this won’t nourish you either.

There’s a BIG difference between becoming in tune with your body and soul and listening to what it needs versus just eating mindlessly or as a result of emotions, cravings, hormonal balances etc.

As I said earlier, it doesn’t just come down to the food, there are also simple things that you can incorporate into your life on a regular basis that will provide that much needed love & nourishment that your soul is craving. Going to bed earlier, doing a restorative yoga class, taking a bath, meditating, journaling, going to a therapy session, curling up with a book & a cup of tea, having a date night or meeting up with your girlfriends are just some examples. How many of these types of soul loving things are included in your life?

To help you get one step closer to nourishing your soul, I have included a brand new recipe I created this weekend in the Grime kitchen. Check it out, I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did.

Cream of Mushroom Soup (Dairy Free!)

2 Tbsp coconut oil
12 oz cremini mushrooms
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
3 cups bone broth (I used chicken but vegetable broth will work if you want to keep it vegan)
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¾ cup cashew cream (see below)

 

• Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the coconut oil.
• Add mushrooms, onions, garlic and saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
• Add the broth, nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the cashew cream and stir until blended. You can use either an immersion blender (or pour into your Vitamix) and puree the soup until the desired consistency. I personally like mine smooth but if you like it chunky, don’t blend for as long.

 

Cashew Cream
1 cup cashews
3 cups boiling water

• Soak the cashews in the boiling water for 20 minutes minimum.
• Drain but reserve ¾ cup of the soaking water.
• Add the cashews and reserved soaking water to the blender and blend until smooth.

Half Your Portions

You might think I’m going to say half your portions by making your plate smaller — but that’s not what I’m here to tell you today.  (Yay!)

Instead, I want you to make half of your portions at each meal filled with vegetables.  So, fill at least half of your plate with vegetables and fill the remaining area with your other meal choice.  You don’t even have to go wildly healthy here — the other area of your plate could have that spaghetti you’ve been craving or a taco filled to the brim.

The idea here is to BEGIN.  Start with small changes that will lead to big results.  Ditch the idea that living a healthy lifestyle has to be perfect, and make the decision to view each choice you make as an opportunity to add health to your life.

There are countless ways to add delicious, colorful vegetables to your meals.  Salads are a great way to pack a ton of nutrition into one meal — roasted red pepper, carrots, onions, zucchini, and mushrooms over fresh spinach with some balsamic vinaigrette.  Simple, easy and incredibly filling. Other ways are:

1. Add a serving or 2 to your smoothie
2. Stir pumpkin puree into your oatmeal
3. Saute some spinach to have with your eggs
4. Bake up some kale chips
5. Add extra veggies to your chili or spaghetti sauce
6. Make a veggie packed soup
7. Put a plate of chopped veggies on the kitchen counter – I guarantee you will dig into them without even noticing!
8. Double the amount of veggies called for in a recipe
9. Replace pasta and rice with vegetables such as cauliflower mash or rice, sweet potato fries or mash
10. Add shredded zucchini or carrots to breads, cakes or cookies (check out the recipe below.)

Eating out? That’s ok! Ask for a side salad or extra vegetables.

Have fun and experiment with different ways to add in more veggies to your day. They will help to fill you up and give you the nutrients you need without adding tons of unwanted calories.

Zucchini Chocolate Muffins

2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 eggs

1 zucchini (medium, grated)

• Preheat your oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Brush each liner with a small amount of coconut oil, to prevent sticking.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, cocoa powder, sea salt, and baking soda. Mix well.
• In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix until combined then stir in the zucchini.
• Spoon the muffin batter between cups, so it’s evenly divided then bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
• Let cool completely before eating, to prevent the muffins from sticking to the liners.

 

Eat More Whole Foods

Eating whole foods (foods that are as close to their natural form as possible) is imperative for your health.  Our culture leans towards convenience foods to fit into our busy lifestyles, but the downside is these prepackaged foods are filled with preservatives, sweeteners and other chemicals that our bodies don’t know how to process and the many of the good nutrients have been removed.

These products are made in a lab with man made ingredients that are designed to allow that product to sit on a shelf for a long period of time. Real food can’t do that!

If the thought of adding more whole foods into your day overwhelms you, don’t worry, it’s actually pretty easy and the benefits to your health are endless. Here are some simple tips to help you get started:

• Add an extra serving of fruit or vegetables into your morning smoothie.
• If you consume white pasta often, make the switch to a vegetable-based pasta like zucchini noodles. You can also find dry pasta at the grocery store made with things like brown rice, chickpeas, black beans or other healthier options. My favourites are GoGo Quinoa & Chickapea Pasta
• Ditch the flavoured yogurt, buy plain and add your own sweetener such as maple syrup or honey and some fresh/frozen fruit
• Plan your meals around vegetables, remember half your plate should be veggies, not meat or starch
• When buying a bread, look for one that has 5 grams of fiber minimum per slice, Stonemill & Silver Hills are 2 great brands.

There are many alternatives to processed foods. Eating whole foods doesn’t mean you’re stuck to eating salads every day — get curious about how you can make healthier decisions in your everyday life, and you’ll be surprised at all you can find like with the recipe for Greek chicken burgers below.

As in my previous blogs, there are ALWAYS healthier options available for you to choose.  With a little research and a willingness to change, you’ll be swapping out the not-so-good with the great in no time at all.  Before you know it, it’ll be standard practice for you to hunt for the healthier option — and you’ll even begin enjoying the taste of the healthier whole foods over the processed versions. Believe me, if this ex-sugar addict, binge eating, carb junkie can do it, so can you!

 

Greek Chicken Burgers

(makes 4 burgers)

1.5 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 red bell pepper (diced)

1/4 cup red onion (diced)

4 cups baby spinach

1 cup almond flour

1 lbs extra lean ground chicken

1/4 cup black olives (chopped)

1/4 cup Feta Cheese (crumbled)

1/2 Cucumber (diced)

Sea salt & black pepper (to taste)

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the red pepper and red onion to the skillet. Saute for about 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add baby spinach and stir just until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. Add almond flour, ground chicken, black olives and feta cheese to the mixing bowl. Now add in your sauteed vegetables. Mix well. Form the mixture into even patties and place on a baking sheet.
4. Preheat grill over medium heat. Transfer burgers onto grill and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes per side or until burger is cooked through. Remove from grill.
5. Plate burger over a bed of greens. Enjoy!

Get Rid of the Junk

Over the last couple of weeks we have talked about ditching the white stuff & sugary drinks. Next it’s time to clean out the rest of your cupboards, pantry, and fridge.

If you are looking at making healthy food changes, you really need to commit to getting rid of the junk. Grab a garbage bag and start tossing.

The first step is to throw away (or donate) all obviously unhealthy food — chips, cookies, sodas, and other junk foods. If you don’t want to throw away products that you have spent good money on then until you have used the last of it up and make a better choice when buying a replacement.

The second step is to learn how to read labels and figure out what to toss and what you want to keep. Companies use “low fat” or “no fat” to make foods more appealing and to seem healthy, but that can be far from the truth. I always go by Michael Pollan’s rule “Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third grader cannot pronounce.”

The third step is deciding on the more difficult items. These are things such as salad dressings, frozen foods and other things that are not excessively bad but aren’t the best choices either. Check out these previous blogs where I took you on a sneak peek inside my fridge and pantry and show you some of my favourite products.

Once you have done an overhaul of your kitchen, make a meal plan and stock your fridge and cupboards with foods that will keep you on track for your goals.

We tend to grab what’s easy and accessible. Keep the junk out, and you will have no problems sticking to your goals.

If you have already started spring cleaning your kitchen, I would love to hear what shifts you’ve noticed. In the meantime, try out this delicious Maple Tahini Salad Dressing, you won’t want to buy one of those processed bottles of salad dressings ever again!

Maple Tahini Salad Dressing

1/4 cup tahini

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1.5 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp warm water

1/4 tsp sea salt

Whisk all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Season with additional salt if needed. Transfer to an airtight jar or container and refrigerate until ready to use.