The Smart Kitchen — Explorations in Culinary Intelligence

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Nut Butter [#MMAZ]

by Sarah on May 20, 2013 · 10 comments

This week, for the second round (of the second round) of D is for Dark…Chocolate in Heather’s Meatless Mondays A-Z challenge, I was inspired not by a recipe from a magazine or another blogger (or myself)–

–but a “recipe” on the back of a KIND Bar.

Specifically, the Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt Kind Bar that, upon consumption, I declared–in my mind and via Instagram*–

*Where else would you get your news and declarations from?

–the best KIND Bar in the world!** [I hope you said "in the world" in a deep, disaster movie preview voice. Because that's definitely how I thought it.]

**I’m not sure you can really trust me on this…as I’d only had one or two KIND Bars before this one, unlike my more-then-blend Lauren, who actually gave me the bar originally. But it IS really good.

kindsnacks.com

Maybe it’s because when asked whether I prefer sweet or salty, I usually say, “I prefer ALL the tastes!” (or I say ‘umami,’ just to be difficult) but something about the combination of the crunchy nuts, slightly sweet chocolate, and sudden hit of saltiness was fantastically satisfying.

Regardless, I knew I had to take the combination and turn it into something.

The most obvious choice was nut(ty) butter.

Using the ingredient profile for inspiration, I combined almonds, walnuts–toasted for just 5 minutes in the toaster oven–

–with peanuts.

Honey roasted peanuts.

I won't tell if you eat some on their way to the food processor.

You’ve got to really know what you are doing to sweeten nut butter with honey and not change the texture too much.

Since I wasn’t sure how practiced we all were in that field of culinary creation, I left the honey-fication to someone else.

Although making smooth, creamy, nut butter does involve a little more than just luck–

–the most important piece of advice I can ever give to a newbie nut butter maker is to maintain extreme patience in the face of ~~evil~~food processing. Seriously, just walk away for a minute (or 15).

i'm not saying your processor will start smoking or anything. but i'm also not saying it won't.

Vanilla makes every nut butter better.

(It also always seems to make the texture of the nut butter change initially. I don’t know why. But it rights itself quickly if you just let the machine run.)To be completely truthful, you could stop here and be pretty darn happy with the nut butter you’ve got on your hands. [And yes, I do mean that literally. Don't try to tell me you've never just taking a swipe at it with your finger.]However, I’ve gotten so carried away with my nut butter pontification that I almost forgot the purpose of this post: D is for Dark Chocolate.

So we should probably add some of that shouldn’t we?Again, you will find yourself thinking, “Wow. That’s good just like it is.”

But why stop there?

Even if it DOES have the silky sheen of a perfectly blended homemade creamy nut butter.

After all, the inspiration was a dark chocolate sea salt nut bar, wasn’t it?

Not gonna lie, at first I thought I had finally failed* in a nut butter experiment.

*OK, so I had a few texture problems with Sticky Toffee Pudding Nutty Butter…and the the nutmeg in the Eggnog might have become excessively potent after a few months of storage…

flavor fail. clearly not texture.

But then I realized that I wasn’t happy with the super salty surprises that jumped out at me rather abrasively because I was practicing my normal method of nut butter consumption: straight from the jar.

This is a nut butter that requires pairing for perfection.

Slather this on strawberries and you won’t even know what to do with your taste buds.

Pair it with a light, doughy pita and some oranges?

Sweet, salty, savory succulence.

Not to nominate myself for nut butter knighthood or anything…

…but this is KIND* of amazing.

*See what I did there?

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Nut Butter

[Makes 1 1/2 cups...or so]

1 1/2 cups dry roasted, unsalted almonds*
1 1/4 cups honey roasted peanuts
3/4 cup dry roasted, unsalted walnuts*
2 1/2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
sea salt

*If you can’t find dry roasted almonds or walnuts, toast in a toaster oven for no more than five minutes to bring the flavor out a bit and get the oils flowing.

Combine nuts in a food processor. Turn on food processor.

If you are an impatient person, physically walk away.

Otherwise, allow food processor work until nut butter forms.

Add vanilla. Process again until smooth and creamy.

Add cocoa powder. Process well to incorporate.

Transfer nut butter to a (reused) jar.

Sprinkle in sea salt, stirring well.

Try to prevent yourself from eating the entire jar in one day.

B-L-E-N-D

by Sarah on May 17, 2013 · 13 comments

Last year, I wrote a song about leaving for the Blend Retreat called, appropriately enough, Leavin’ for the Blend Retreat. It was well thought out, there were accompanying photos, and it was all around a better crafted post.

This year, we will pretend we are in kindergarten, as I invite you to join me in the only lyrics I could muster up,* to a tune that is apropos of nothing.

*I did manage to turn the Blend logo into Old McDonald’s farm, though. You have to give me some credit for that.

There were three girls, planned a retreat

B-L-E-N-D

So friends-through-blogging could all meet

B-L-E-N-D

With a boot camp here,

And a mountain hike there.

Here’s some swag!

Have a treat!

IG every thing you eat!

See y’all soon in Park City…

B-L-E-N-D!

Thoughts on Body Image [An Open Letter]

by Sarah on May 16, 2013 · 17 comments

Last week, I spent a lot of time talking with some of my more-than-blends about body image.

dang. girl looks GOOD.

We’d all been dealing with some feelings of stress, not even necessarily due to the number on the scale, but physical discomfort or mental setbacks due to bloating, or the frustration as not seeing results from our workouts, or dissatisfaction with the choices we had made regarding food.

What it all came back to was the idea that even though we know that gaining a little weight is not “the end of the world,” and should not ‘break us,’ it is so easy to let it destroy the way we feel about ourselves.

To quote a friend, “It’s hard to break out of that frame of mind! 5 lbs. isn’t going to hurt me…but I hate how easily I can slip back into a bad thought pattern. I think I’m past all that, but it can still creep back in. It’s a lifelong process I do believe.”

————————

Another e-mail from a dear friend put it this way:

“…this all got me thinking about how little body confidence I have. To let a little bloat and some weight gain tear me apart is not like me…though maybe it is. Maybe I try to say I’m happy with my body and how I treat it, but I’m just fooling myself and my true feelings come out when I’m met with a setback.

This makes me human right? Or at least female?

Do you really believe EVERYONE has 100% body confidence the way they say they do? That they are truly happy with their body no matter what? Does that even exist anymore?”

——————————

I responded with the following ramble.

(Although I have edited slightly to add some more thoughts as they have come to me.)

And I wanted to share it with y’all.

—————————–

Things I have done in the past 72 hours:

Took pictures–yes, multiple–of myself in the gym mirror to see what I “actually looked liked”
Took pictures of myself to try and photograph the shirt I was wearing, and then thought, “Wow. My arms look super skinny.”
Subsequently took more.
As I was downward dogging to stretch after running yesterday, realized my legs looked super toned from that angle. Took pictures. In the middle of the gym.
Instagrammed a photo of said legs with the tagline “thank you, legs” but really just because I wanted to show off how awesome they looked. Immediately deleted it.
Wondered if I should eat broccoli for dinner because I knew it would make me feel bloated, and I really didn’t want to feel fat.
Wondered if I should eat the (fabulously delicious) English muffin with my (one or two?) eggs last night for dinner because I thought it might make me feel bloated and fat to have so many carbs. [Yes, I had just run 8 miles. Go figure.]
Got excited because my pants felt loose.
Wondered if that was just because I didn’t let them dry all the way or something.
Felt sad because my pants felt tight…
….but happy because they made my butt look good.
Performed virasanafor the first time at yoga and felt like my thighs looked bigger than anyone else’s in the room.

as opposed to this. check out those calves. i even think my FEET look great.

OK. Basically what I’m trying to say is that I honestly don’t think–no matter how much you work out or how many “smart choices” you make–it IS possible to be 100% confident in your body, whether you are male or female. Aren’t we always striving to look better, lift better, run better, eat better, BE better?

This is something that I know: many of us have horrible body dysmorphia.

I still think I’m a size 6-8 (which was, I think, a beautiful, happy weight for me), just after college when I started working out with more intention, eating more well-balanced meals, and learning how to cook (and not baking–and eating–brownies for dinner…a lot). I felt really good in my skin, but I was scared of slipping back to 180 lbs.

This was what…six years ago?

In the past three or four years, my weight has not really changed all that much, even with running or not running, or eating meat or being a vegan…in fact, I found a post from almost exactly two years ago where I addressed my weight. And I still weigh the EXACT. SAME. AMOUNT. [Other things have changed. Some of them rather hilarious. ]

Why do I think suddenly the weight is going to come back on?

Why did I feel the need to count calories so strictly, like I was on a diet?

Why don’t I have an accurate picture of myself?

Honestly, sometimes I see pictures and I’m like EWWWW, eat a hamburger girl!!!*

*Which, is also “negative self-talk” I should point out.

We will avoid discussing the no-shower, no-make-up choices for now.

Or I am feeling OK, but am upset that my stomach was showing. ["Take another."]

And then I see some photos and think, “Oh, Self, you look goooood.”

but the fact that I feel the need to take pictures of myself in public restrooms says something, doesn't it?

I just don’t know if we ever have a realistic picture of ourselves. We always seem to flash back to a point, or a picture, or an event, where we felt judged or awkward about our bodies, and that is what we hold on to, rather than the times we felt great, or loved, or beautiful.

I was walking to the farmers market this weekend, and I saw this girl. She was a bigger girl, but she had amazing style. Style I covet. The scarves of an art teaching hipster crossed with a Texas cowgirl that you could take and put in a parlor in the Deep South and she might not blend in, but she would stand out in a way that made everyone stop and be slightly envious of her confidence. And like I said, she wasn’t what one might describe as ‘thin.’ And I caught myself thinking, “Why do I care so much about being thin anyway?” [Aside from the health aspects of course. And I do think I look better toned up. But that's not the point.]

It was a weird moment for me.

I often see girls who weigh probably just slightly more than me, or a size or two bigger, and I think, “That. THAT is a beautiful body. THAT is the ideal.” (Whatever “the ideal” means.) And yet, when it comes to myself, I always see the acne-riddled (but, yes, super confident) middle schooler, or the pudgy girl with no fashion sense who never got asked to prom, or the girl who was bright and bubbly throughout college, but looks back on pictures and sees a rounder face, and fleshier arms.

And I KNOW. I KNOW that’s not what I look like.

OK, I’m totally rambling.

I don’t even remember what your question was anymore.

————————-

THE END.

I had to write that because I clearly don’t sign my e-mails.

I wish I could say I have a brilliant breakthrough to share with you, or could now promise that tomorrow I will post “The Secret To My New Body Confidence!!!!” with eighteen hundred exclamation points and a picture of me jumping on a beach somewhere with my arms outstretched and a Crest Strip smile lighting up my entire bikini-clad body, but I don’t.

Instead, I just want to leave my thoughts out there, for whatever they are worth.

And these thoughts led me to some other pretty awesome (in the literal sense…not the slang-for-supercool sense) thoughts and revelations that I think I’d like to share over the next few weeks, if you’re interested. [Or even if you aren't. ]

Pint o’ Pineapple [WIAW]

by Sarah on May 15, 2013 · 18 comments

Welcome back to week two of the seemingly perpetual pineapple party that’s been rockin’ and rollin’ in The Smart Kitchen since I purchased six 99-cent pineapples from Kroger over the course of seven days.

The title of this pineapple post is poorly misleading, as I’ve clearly eaten MUCH more than a pint o’ pineapple.

But as anyone who’s anyone in elementary school knows from visits to the Kingdom of the Gallon, there are two cups in a pint.

And, as I mentioned before, this is week number two of my ride on the (non-narcotic) Pineapple Express. [And my conversion of Jenn's What I Ate Wednesday goal from April of last year into a May cup o' fun. Or, in this case: TWO cups.]

Also there’s the whole addicted to alliteration thing.

soy pineapple brown rice paired with hot and sour hodge podge veggie soup

Gallon of pineapple doesn’t work quite as well.

cornflake crumblies + cereal dust ALMOST took the shine away from the pineapple in this blood orange chobani bowl. almost.

Even if it is closer to the truth.

this is a quart. not a gallon.

But enough from the elementary school teacher turned pineapple princess.

i went back to the teacher's appreciation luncheon at least four times for more pineapple. i am not ashamed.

Pineapple on pancakes is muchmore fun to talk about.

chocolate raspberry plantfusion protein coc-oat-nut buckwheat pancake with fruit, coconut, and a drizzle of something that i think was chocolate.

Especially when it happened not once…

carob peanut flour 'syrup'! that's what it was! (maybe)

…but twice.

insanely fluffy apple cinnamon coc-oat-nut buckwheat plantfusion protein pancake w. pine + other apples, cinnamon, and homemade sunflower butter

And let’s not forget the pairing of pineapple with the perfect creamy tart counterpart* of Greek yogurt.

*Now I’m not just alliterating, but rhyming, too? Who AM I? (Miss Awesome. That’s who.)

check out those hardened yogurt edges--the whole reason to buy a big tub of yogurt, really. "cost efficient" is a lie.

Just when you think one pineapple plunge in a tubis enough…

oats in a tub. or container.

…peanut butter puckers up to the pineapple prince.

if it's not glass, it is not a jar.

Of course, sometimes plain is pretty perfect.

when it comes to pineapple. and oatmeal.

And sometimes it pleases to pH-balance what must be a base-bending stomach at breakfast.

mmmm....acid...

I’m not sure how this became an alliteration challenge, but I presume it has something to do with my predilection with both language and pineapple.

I also have a preference for the peculiar.

fried egg in 'twice baked' cinnamon apricot acorn squash, toasted pita, all covered in cinnamon and honey

Like plucking a piece of pineapple for putting into a runny egg yolk.

yep. it was good. (and yep. that's watermelon.)

I also pushed some pineapple around a panwith some chili-lime spiced veggies.

mango came to visit zucchini, squash, and bell pepper, too

And turned this pineapple party into a full-on fiesta with some tortillas and tofu-based Vegan Lime Crema.

food for life knows what they are doing. just when you thought ezekiel bread was good...they made an actually addictive corn tortilla.

Now, please excuse me. I’m going to let the bromelain abuse the roof of my mouth some more while listening to my new favorite CD.

Which is Golden.

Like pineapple.

Vegan Lime Crema (Mexican Sour Cream)

by Sarah on May 14, 2013 · 9 comments

Despite a slightly rough start–which had the bonus of allowing me to finally infiltrate the depths of the Whole Foods prep kitchen–last night’s Meatless (Mexican) Monday Health Starts Here cooking class was a ~~mess~~ success.

There were many members of the Clean Plate Club–

–and the chef was able to join the Clean PAN Club once again.

Of course, I’m not sure that we really learned anything, aside from how NOT to put together a portable burner, bread knives are not good for chopping mint, and that–for people with non-”I lived in Austin and nothing is spicy anymore” tastebuds–the Vegan Lime Crema (Mexican sour cream) is absolutely necessary for cooling down the heat from my cayenne-spiked Cinnamon Cocoa Mole with TVP Chorizo.

Mexican crema is almost like sour cream, but to me, it is a little bit thinner, and a little bit sweeter.

The consistency is a bit different, in that it doesn’t dollop, so much as glop.

Some versions are as thin as heavy whipping cream, apparently, but when I was in Mexico, the texture was a bit closer to yogurt or mayonnaise. [Not to be confused, of course, with mayonesa.]

For this vegan version, I turned to tofu.

Firm tofu, vinegar, a pinch of salt, and a generous squeeze of lime juice are really all you need.If you use a food processor, you’ll have to add just a tablespoon of water to help reduce some of the gritty nubbiness that comes when you mix tofu in the wide bowl. [See above.]

But if you use an immersion (or other) blender–

this is the single-serving method

–you should be just fine.

The crema will be thickened–as in the photo above–and gloopy right away, but refrigeration helps get it closer to American sour cream dollop-ability. However, you can also add some xantham gum if you have it available to you.Make sure to add it while the food processor is running, or work very quickly with the blender.Another variation would be to use lemon juice, but why? (Sorry, Maria, but lime trumps lemon, almost all the time.)

One thing you cannot forget is just a tad bit of sweetener: agave nectar is the obvious* choice.

*Agave makes tequila. And tequila makes us ~~think we are~~ Mexican.

You can add even more agave and then turn it into a dessert crema, topping fresh fruit with a nice dusting of cinnamon–or maybe chili powder?–coconut, and chopped pistachios.

Or keep it as is, for savory dishes.

Now, if only I had a baked (sweet) potato.

Vegan Lime Crema (Mexican Sour Cream)

14 oz. firm tofu’
3 Tbsp. lime juice
4 tsp. vinegar
1/2 salt
1 Tbsp. water (optional)
1/4 tsp. xantham gum (optional)
1 tsp agave*

Combine tofu, vinegar, lime juice, and salt in a food processor or blender.
Process until smooth, adding water for creamier consistency if desired. [If using a food processor, you almost certainly will need it.]
If using xantham gum, add through processor chute as machine is on, or work very quickly to blend.
Stir in agave nectar.
You may use immediately, but some time in the fridge will help to thicken it up considerably!

*Increasing the amount of agave will create a sweet crema, perfect for topping fresh tropical fruit as a light dessert. [Chopped nuts, cinnamon, and shredded coconut optional, but encouraged.]

Cinnamon Cocoa Mole w. TVP Chorizo [#MMAZ]

by Sarah on May 13, 2013 · 20 comments

How convenient that this week’s Meatless Mondays A-Z challenge–for which Heather chose D is for Dark…Chocolate–falls on the same day as my latest cooking class at Whole Foods, entitled, yes, Meatless Mexican Monday.

After all, the Mayans and the Aztecs were cooking with cocoa long before little girls at summer camp were making s’mores around the campfire.

this is the god of chocolate.

So, what was I to do but combine my personal energies and efforts, and make sure that my Meatless Mexican menu included the incorporation of a little (dark) cocoa?

Stereotypically, when thinking about Mexican food and chocolate, the inkblot response is, “Mole!”

I am not an expert in Mexican cuisine ~~although I like to pretend I am~~ but I do know that mole isn’t just the super thick sludge of a chocolate mess that I once tried and wanted to spit right back out like a four-year-old encountering overcooked broccoli.

There are tons of different variations, but what I do believe they all have in common is the massive list of ingredients.

I’m pretty sure I once saw an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives where they actually threw in the kitchen sink.

My version probably can’t really be considered mole in any authentic ~~Mayan crop~~ circles, but it does include every spice known to man.

And cocoa. With cinnamon. Because cinnamon makes chocolate ‘Mexican.’

Despite the lengthy list of seasonings and spices, this recipe takes all of 20 minutes to make…

…and that includes “cooking” the stand-alone star ingredient:

TVP Chorizo Crumbles.

In fact, most of the flavor comes from that chorizo–

–which, to be honest, is fabulous on its own, and, I’m sure, has a million potential uses.

But for this week, we need it to become mole.

And all it takes to make that happen is tomato sauce, and tomato paste…

…and the aforementioned cinnamon and cocoa.

This would be where you could also make it even spicier than it already is by adding more chili powder or cayenne.

But if you already chose to add the cayenne to the chorizo, don’t say I didn’t warn you when you suddenly open the fridge and start chugging milk straight from the carton.

The one thing this recipe DOES have in common with authentic mole?

It looks like sludge.

But that’s nothing a little Vegan Lime Crema and a spring of cilantro can’t fix (or at least cover up).

Cinnamon Cocoa Mole w. TVP Chorizo

[Makes 2 1/2 cups or so]

2 cups TVP Chorizo Crumbles[recipe below]
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 tsp. unweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. brown sugar (optional)
cayenne or chili powder (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat.

Once heated through, serve as you would your favorite taco/burrito filling.

——————————-

TVP Chorizo Crumbles

[Makes 2 cups]

1 cup boiling water
1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP)
1 Tbsp. light chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. liquid aminos
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
1 tsp. smoked (or sweet) paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric or annato
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (more, or less, as desired…but it will be spicy!)

Combine TVP and all seasonings/spices in a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine.
Pour water over mixture, stirring well.
Allow to ‘cook’ for about 10 minutes.
Use in the Cinnamon Cocoa Mole recipe above, or cook quickly over medium heat to remove some moisture before storing and using as you would any other crumbled sausage.

Seed. Sprout. Grow. [Give Back + Giveaway]

by Sarah on May 11, 2013 · 13 comments

Blogging? On a Saturday?

It’s been awhile since that happened.

Well. I ~~ran out of tape~~ did need a break from packing.

I also wanted to take a quick opportunity to help out a company who has been incredibly kind to, and supportive of, me over the years.

Rudi’s Organic Bakery has partnered with Kiva, an organization who’s mission is to utilize the international connections of the web to “connect people through lending to alleviate poverty.” Kiva provides loans to individuals or communities throughout the world to help them grow their small businesses and create better lives for themselves, their families, and their neighborhoods.

Through the Seed. Sprout. Grow. campaign, Rudi’s is hoping to share the stories of twenty-five entrepreneurs throughout the world who are working to make changes for themselves and others.

To participate, all you have to do is visit Rudi’s Seed. Sprout. Grow. page on facebook and share one of the stories that you connect with most. For every story shared, Rudi’s will donate $5 to Kiva campaigns until they reach $25,000.

I chose Waldo, a Peruvian-American whose passion for cooking led him to open a restaurant in Texas, and who wants to use his business to better his community through scholarship programs and aid for cancer-ridden children and their families.

To encourage participation, Rudi’s has offered up an INCREDIBLE giveaway package for one of my readers. To help you live YOUR ‘best life’ the company is givng away a yoga, fitness, and nutrition collection that includes a Lucy giftcard, yoga mat and DVD, and Enjoy Life seed and nut mix.

Most of us are incredibly blessed and lucky that the phrase improving our lives means choosing healthy food to eat and exercising our minds and bodies…not finding a source of clean drinking water or enough food to feed our families.

Please take a second to share some of the stories through the Seed. Sprout. Grow. campaign.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dr. Smart, I Presume?

by Sarah on May 10, 2013 · 19 comments

Happy Friday! Thank y’all SO much for all of your positive, encouraging comments on my last post. Especially the letter of recommendation from Kristina. [If only I'd had that before...:)]

Yes, Lindsay, that was my actual letter of intent, written for my application to the PhD in Health Education and Promotion program at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where I will move in August to begin study as a Graduate Council Fellow in the College of Human Environmental Sciences.

To paraphrase The Godfather (a movie I’ve–gasp!–never actually seen): they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

My Spring Break trip to Alabama might have seemed random, considering I never mentioned a friend or family member I was visiting, but just spent a lot of time talking about visiting grocery stores and snacking from the breakfast bar.But, as now is obvious, I was down there on a recruitment visit, meeting with every dean and professor I could, as well as many girls who are in the years ahead of me in the program. As someone who took her inner cowgirl and moved across the country before, based simply on a feeling, it should come as no surprise that once I found myself on campus, talking about potential topics of study, my interests, and the experiences that had led me to that point, well, I knew this was where I was headed.

I even brought home a T-shirt.* And you know you only REALLY wanted T-shirts from the schools you hoped to get into.

*I am aware as a grad student it’s ‘not cool’ to wear memorabilia from your school. But I will always be an undergrad coed sorority girl inside, and I will have to restrain myself from starting to buy every elephant–excuse me, pachyderm– figurine I see.

that they refer to the mascot as the pachyderm makes my inner nerd happy

So, how am I feeling about this whole ‘I have become a career flight risk because I have yet to stay in one place longer than 18 months and have had a different job every year since college…and I’m moving on again’ situation?

Excited about immersing myself back in school, learning, and sharing knowledge.

Overwhelmed with what the next few months will bring.

Nervous about ‘going it alone.’

Certain that this is where I’m meant to be.

Filled with hope and possibility. [Is that a feeling?]

Happy that I look good in crimson.

What will happen to the blog?

As the days and weeks move forward, I am eager to see how life–and the blog–change and take shape. I know after I moved to Austin initially, the blog became more about daily life and random-osity. I have no idea how much time I will have to write, or what I will be called to write about, but as social media as it relates to health education and promotion issues is a huge part of what I hope to be studying…it is safe to say that The Smart Kitchen will be around for while.

What about Nutty Butter?

[AKA: What y'all REALLY care about]

The radio silence as regards May flavors hopefully gave you a hint that I am definitely not going to be producing and distributing this month. Considering that I have to move out of my cottage by the 31st--the same weekend I will be in Wisconsin for my grandfather’s memorial service, meaning the weekend before (Memorial Day) will be spent storing my stuff somewhere–at which time I will be semi-homeless, plus a weekend away at Blend, the beginning of state testing, and trying to get a handle on life in general…well, that’s just not happening.

the five jars of birthday cake for the blend retreat raffle are the last of the official nutty butter for awhile...

As for the future, I will be getting a PhD. I will be very busy. Nutty Butter, LLC. is also incorporated in the fine state of Virginia. I am planning on maintaining my LLC registration, but am unsure about the time and logistics of reincorporating in Alabama, finding a commercial kitchen, etc. Also, the fact that I am essentially going to be ‘earning’ 1/4 of my current salary–and I have never turned a profit with Nutty Butter as it is–doesn’t bode well for the immediate future.

Cookbook? Private production for my beloved friends and neighbors? If any of you know someone who wants to publish me, let me know. Otherwise, we’ll just have to play it by ear. [Or you can invite me to come visit you...because I always try to bring it for hostess presents.]

Well, I guess for now, all that’s left to say is…

Roll Tide!

A Letter of Intent

by Sarah on May 9, 2013 · 31 comments

As a teacher whose career path has moved in and out of the elementary school classroom, I have always loved spreading knowledge.

Yet for almost a decade, my curiosity has veered away from multiplication and Virginia history and towards health, nutrition, fitness, and the issues of obesity, diabetes, and food policy that plague our country.

The signs that a change in my desired teaching focus was destined to come were constantly revealing themselves, as signs always do. Nobody in my fifth grade classroom was entirely sure how an oceanography lesson turned into a discussion on sustainable fishing and the health benefits of the smaller fish in the sea.

I am certain the first grade parent chaperones went home from our grocery store excursion just slightly perplexed as to how a field trip about community workers became an educational forum on food science and production, once I took control of the tour.

buttercup versus kabocha: discuss.

And I also know the family I lived with in Mexico was not expecting their guest to use her Spanish language skills to help them understand their multiple diabetes diagnoses and recommend steps to take for improving their health.

Even when I was laid off from my teaching job due to massive district budget cuts, I transformed my role at a high-end market from general service representative into the go-to healthy eating expert and educational tour leader. I was always found helping customers who were adjusting to medically mandated dietary changes or leading groups of community members through the store. I taught students about the science of produce and groups of handicapped adults how to shop both healthfully and frugally.

The decision to move beyond my Masters of Teaching and pursue a PhD in Health Education and Promotion is based on my desire to bring together my natural talents for teaching, writing, and relationship-building with my strong passion for physical health.

I want the opportunity to conduct research related to my strong interest in the field through the ever-evolving social and digital media world, while also educating others—and myself—about epidemiology, wellness program structure and effectiveness, and health-related contemporary issues. I want to be so immersed in both study and communication that I come alive the way I do when I am composing posts for the healthy living blog I have written for nearly four years, teaching healthy cooking classes to lifestyle-changers at my local Whole Foods, or answering questions from my diabetes-ridden coworkers about plant-based diets and encouraging them to go to the gym after school.

Over the past four years, social media in particular has educated me, inspired me, and motivated me in my health pursuits of food and wellness writing and recipe development through participation in the extremely vibrant and active healthy living blog community.

As a result, I am intrigued by the use of media as a health education/promotion/marketing platform. I am sure it can be a successful tool in our plugged-in society, but am also aware of its limitations. Despite the current popularity of internet and social-media based health initiatives and forums, including the healthy living blog community in which I am involved, I often find myself wondering if any of the ideas and research in the fields of health, fitness, and nutrition being transmitted in this way are actually helping the widespread community health problems we are facing.

I often feel these messages are not actually reaching the people who need the information most: those who do not currently access popular forms of social media for this purpose, either because they are not able to, willing to, knowledgeable about how to, or simply lack the interest to do so.

I want to help answer the question of how to best access and utilize what could be a far-reaching and extremely valuable tool for health promotion, establishing educational programs that will serve those who actually need the information rather than simply reinforce ideas and knowledge already accepted and understood by those tapped into health-related media.

Additionally, while recognizing the media’s strength as a promotional tool for health-related news and programming in the digital age, I have simultaneously witnessed, and personally experienced, some of the potentially negative effects of a constant stream of subtly, and perhaps unknowingly, delivered wellness messages that set up bloggers—and blog readers—for an all-or-nothing ‘comparison trap.’ Promoting positive physical health changes through social media outlets might also be inversely affecting mental health.

[Source]

In pursuing a PhD focused on Health Promotion and Education I will have the opportunity to begin to answer these questions, and hopefully contribute to the development of media-related wellness programs that would reach community members of all ages, technological savvy, and socioeconomic levels. From there, I hope to continue to educate others in their own pursuit of knowledge in this field, or in the development and implementation of effective health programs in the wider community.

I truly believe my passion for teaching and communication, as well as my natural curiosity and drive, would be an asset to your PhD program.

Pineapple Express [#WIAW]

by Sarah on May 8, 2013 · 23 comments

Disclaimer: The title of this post may have stoner movie pop cultural connotations, but as I learned–in attempting to disassociate myself with it--it is also a meteorological term for a Hawaiian ‘atmospheric river’ [slash] southern branch of the polar jetstream.

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When you walk into Kroger and see this:

You obviously walk out of there with three.*

*After mentally reviewing your knowledge of seasonal produce in Costa Rica.

As I mentioned yesterday, Jenn, I’ve been eating a lot of pineapple.

Similar to the blueberry blitz of mid-January–parts one and two—

–I found something super sweet and super cheap and latched on to it.

Unlike the blueberry bonanza, however, this time most of the fabulous fruit was consumed straight from the tup-faux-ware, fridge door open, with frantic urgency.

Occasionally I would try to make a fruit salad, but the ‘one in the bowl, three in the mouth‘ pattern of chunking fruit often rendered this futile.

I was able to get it into a yogurt bowl…

cereal, berries + pineapple on kroger brand goat + cow's milk greek yogurt w. peach jelly

…or cup?

manager's special siggis w. crumbled rice cakes, wasa, tons of cinnamon, berries, pineapple

I learned that pineapple pairs strangely well with hummus.

of course, what doesn't taste great with the supersized tub of sabra tuscan herb hummus from costco?

And, perhaps more ~~normally~~ obviously, carob powder (and cornflakes).

It also loves to get dressed up.

chocolate raspberry plantfusion proats w. pineapple, crispin apple, cinnamon

A pineapple party? Bring on the sprinkles!

sprinkles make for funfetti oatmeal.

We all know pineapple is ~~life-changing when~~ great grilled, so why not stir it up in a pan with leftover Coconut Mojito Coleslaw and peppers?