Root Vegetable Tagine
January 26, 2009
Here is another slow cooker recipe that is full of veggies and fruit. Perfect for those of us that are still cleansing this week! It is very tasty and a good introduction to Moroccan food.
- 3/4 lb parsnips, peeled and diced
- 3/4 lb turnips, peeled and diced
- 3/4 lb carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 12 dried apricots, chopped
- 8 pitted prunes, chopped
- 2 tsp ground tumeric
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp dried parsley
- 2 Tbsp dried cilantro
- 1 L veggie broth
- 1-2 cups chickpeas (optional)
Toss all ingredients in slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook for 9 hours on low.
First Half-Marathon Class
January 24, 2009
This morning Jeanette and I coached this season’s first Westboro Half-Marathon class and it was great! We ran approximately 10km, you can check out our route here. 
We are a determined group, braving the cold this morning! Lots of us are coming back to the half-marathon after a few years off, or in JP’s case this is the first time he has trained with a group and is looking for tips and motivation to get to the start line injury-free. Our first tip on this one is stretch!!!! And find a great massage or physio- therapist if you feel and injury coming on. Check out our home yoga practice for runners found on the website, and see the links section of the Blog for just a few of our favorite therapists.
When I checked the weather early this morning before our run, the forecast was -31 degrees Celsius with the wind chill. Yikes. As any runner knows, it is soooo hard to decide what to wear, how many layers, what jacket, which hat and mitts, luckily my ‘outfit’ t was just right. On the legs, my favorite long-johns under thick running tights, on the top I wore 3 layers, a mid-weight long sleeve thermal top, a long sleeve 3/4 zip New Balance running top and my favorite Lululemon Winter Running Jacket. I also wore a warm winter running hat and neck warmer, lined running mitts and on my feet my favorite polar fleece socks. I was toasty without being overly bulky and feeling like the ‘Michelin Man’.
Nadia mentioned half-way through our run that the 5 layers she wore on top – were just too much 
Next week we run 11km and have to figure out how to keep our water/Gatorade from freezing! If anyone has tips, feel free to post them.
Dino’s Baked Beans
January 22, 2009
One of my hubby’s favourite foods is baked beans. Here is his recipe:
- 1 lb. dried small white beans, sorted and rinsed (approx 2 1/4 cups)
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 cup molasses (use blackstrap molasses for extra iron)
- 1/8 cup brown sugar
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 dashes hickory smoke
Combine all ingredients in a slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low for 13-14 hours, stirring occasionally if possible. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Note: We haven’t tried yet, but I bet the beans would taste just as good if you replaced the sugar with maple syrup or honey.
Green Smoothie of the Day
January 22, 2009
Today’s Smoothie was delcious. Sylvie told me her favorite smoothie was Pear and Spinach so I added to that theme
2 pears, wahsed, cored and chopped
1 mango (I used frozen mango and I’m guessing the amount)
about 3 ounces of baby spinach, or 3 huge handfulls
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp un-pasturized honey (YUM)
2 tbsp hemp protein
1 tbsp green powder (I used Greens+)
water to thin
Blend and enjoy!!
Make sure to use organic ingredients, especially the pears and baby spincah, check out our top foods to choose organic list
Save Energy!
January 8, 2009
Clinton Foundation’s Climate Initiative (CCI) in August 2006. It’s mission is to fight against climate change with a business-oriented approach in practical, measurable and significant ways. The Foundation encourages everyone to get involved.
1. Get on your bike!
For every mile you ride your bike instead of driving a car, you avoid the production of about one pound of carbon dioxide.
2. Check your water heater
Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120°F. Save 550 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year. Talk to your building or condo manager to upgrade the efficiency of the boiler in your building to magnify the savings.
3. Muscle mow your Lawn
Mowing for an hour with a gasoline- powered lawn mower can produce as much air pollution as a 350-mile drive in a car. Consider this alternative which emits nothing other than clippings and burns calories too: push a lightweight reel mower.
4. Change your thermostat
Conserve fuel by turning down the heat at night and while you are away from your home – or install a programmable thermostat. Setting the air conditioning thermostat in your building to 76 degrees in the summer will dramatically reduce your electricity bill and you’ll do your bit to save energy and the environment.
5. Reduce garbage
Buy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. You can save around 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year by reducing, reusing and recycling.
6. Use recycled paper
According to the EPA, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, household waste increases by more than 25 percent due to holiday gift-giving. When wrapping gifts, remember to recycle and reuse. Also whenever possible use 100% post-consumer recycled paper when printing and save approximately 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.
7. Fill Your Dishwasher
Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save approximately 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year. Why not set it to eco-mode to save even more energy and water?
Top Foods to Choose Organic
January 8, 2009
These are the most commonly and highly contaminated foods with pesticides and chemicals, even after washing and peeling. The research used to compile this list is from extensive independent tests run by the FDA and the USDA from over 100,000 samples of food. The chemical pesticides detected in these studies are known to cause cancer, birth defects, nervous system and brain damage, and development problems in children.
1. Meat: beef, pork, and poultry
2. Dairy: milk, cheese and butter
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Tomatoes
6. Potatoes
7. Spinach (and other greens including lettuce)
8. Coffee
9. Peaches and Nectarines
10. Grapes (especially imported grapes)
11. Celery
12. Bell Peppers (Red & Green)
