Greg's Lentil Stew of Tastiness

When Greg and Ryan were visiting last weekend, they cooked dinner one night (and helped me cook the other night, they are very pleasant house guests). On the menu was steamed kale and Greg's Lentil Stew of Tastiness. I had never had lentils. I was not entirely sure what lentils were. I had some vague suspicion that they grew in water and were kind of tendril-y. I formed this opinion based entirely on how the name sounded to me and the tone in people's voices when they talked about cooking them. I have held onto it for at least 15 years now, never having been curious enough about them to actually look up 'lentils'.

Well, I was waaaaay off. (although I do give credit to my imagination on the weird and vivid imagery it initially came up with)

Lentils are a small bean-like substance rather resembling split peas. Except lentils are cuter. and they make a VERY tasty stew...and are surprisingly healthy. Since Greg shared the recipe with me, I'm assuming he doesn't mind if I, in turn, share it with you =)

Lentil Stew of Tastiness
Olive oil
4 cups of broth or water (he used vegetable, but chicken would work too)
1/2 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 carrots (I vote for 3-5 carrots), sliced
1 lb lentils
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes
Thyme
1 bay leaf
crushed red pepper
cumin

Sautee' onion, garlic, and carrots in a little bit of olive oil until onions are transparent.
Add thyme, crushed red pepper and some cumin...it's kind of a however much you think you'd like sort of measurement
Sautee a bit longer and add lentils, bay leaf, and broth (or water)
Cover and simmer for about an hour or until broth is absorbed
Add tomatoes, stir and simmer for a few more minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Then "nom nom nom!"

Goes well with rice, bread, quinoa, or just a mug and spoon. Leftovers are excellent as well!

All in all, I'm rather glad lentils aren't a slimy, tendril-y underwater plant! ...and I read an article today that said they were one of the top 10 foods to mush up and feed your baby, so there you go!

Food Sources

We are rapidly approaching the end of an era (several of them actually, but that's another story). The days when I was Lucy's sole source of food are coming to a close and with that comes a whole new set of parental decisions that need to be made. It's a big thing being responsible for the health of your child...making sure they eat right...trying to develop healthy tastes and habits...knowing that although your parents tried to feed you a nutritious diet you still struggle with an addiction to processed food and sugar...and chocolate...hoping your child won't have quite the battle you do....

 In trying to decide how we are going to feed Lucy my first decision was to do some research.

To that end we purchased Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Dr. Fuhrman. It is a fascinating book and I recommend it to all parents (especially if you have a child who suffers from chronic illnesses such as ear infections and colds). There is a lot of research and scientific information but it isn't too difficult of a read, and I confess I sort of skimmed over some of the technical-sounding stuff. Still, It made a big difference in how I view children's diets so I'd like to share a few of the high points and surprising statistics with you here:

- In the typical American diet children get about 2% of their calories from fruits and veggies.
- About 25% of American toddlers eat 0 fruits & veggies.
- By 15 months of age, french fries are the most common vegetable consumed in America.
- Kids don't have to be sick all the time (we only think they do because most are). If they are getting enough nutrients their bodies can resist most illnesses.
- Poor nutrition is linked to practically all health problems, from allergies to ADHD to eczema.
- Consumption of saturated fat (found in milk, cheese, & animal products etc) has a shockingly high correlation with heart disease, cancer, and high cholesterol
-antibiotics kill good bacteria along with bad bacteria making it more likely for children to get sick repeatedly once they've been prescribed...especially evident in the treatment and recurrence of ear infections
- Cow's milk is both deficient in iron and it bonds with iron so it is the most common cause of anemia in infants and young children
- One 60 year study of about 5,000 people found that those who consumed more fruit in their childhood (highest quartile) were 38% less likely to develop cancer as adults
- Dietary influence on Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk is vastly higher under age 10 (as in over 500% higher) than it is at age 25 and beyond

I can't come close to doing it justice - there is a lot more information in the book which is often accentuated with charts that show relationships far more effectively than my single-sentence blurbs. Suffice it to say that thanks to this book I am questioning the marketing "information" that says we should feed our young children cow's milk, cheese, fruit snacks, fruit drinks, and other processed foods. Now I just have to figure out a good balance so my child(ren) can eat primarily high-nutrient diets and be healthy without feeling completely left out, weird, or awkward around others.

We have to figure it out for ourselves too because parenthood is all about setting examples! Coming up next: Eat for Health....learning how to modify your diet without going crazy or giving up all your favorite foods =)

How Healthy....?

With the stall on losing baby weight and a baby I want to be able to take great care of, I've been thinking a lot about making some healthier lifestyle choices. The big question with doing this is precisely how healthy I want to be. At first glance it seems like a no-brainer: as healthy as possible, but to me (with my talent for over-analyzing) it is a bit more complicated than that. When it comes to working out, it's easy to set goals. If I get in a good 20-30 min workout 6 days a week, I feel fabulous...and not just proud of myself, I really feel a LOT better physically than I do if I don't work out at all. So naturally my goal is to work out every day...or almost every day. Some days though, the laundry or the dishes are just too overwhelming so I sacrifice my work-out for my sanity and that's ok, I'm slowly getting better at balancing it all. But the really the hard part is food.

I LOVE to eat. I love steak. I love lasagna. I love love love chocolate. If there are chocolate chip cookies in the house I consider myself to be showing great restraint if I only eat 5...before dinner. I'm not that crazy about vegetables. I prefer to eat bread...and oreos...and granola bars...and cereal that's fortified with extra vitamins and minerals...and all of these things I love are, by and large, NOT good for my body. I want to fix this...mostly.

I haven't read the book Eat to Live. I want to...but quite frankly, I'm terrified of it. I'm afraid I won't be able to make all the changes I need to in order to be really healthy - to be the best mother and wife I can - and that I will subsequently spend a lot of my time feeling guilty; which I don't need. I am also not sure I want to eat only to live. (I don't want to live to eat either) I think there is great joy in cooking, eating, and sharing something that tastes absolutely amazing. Although I have found some very tasty vegetarian dishes, not one has measured up to steak, manicotti, or chocolate chip cookies.

So...for now, here's my plan:

1.  make green smoothies. They are delicious and I don't mind loading them up with Kale or spinach. At least I'm getting more fruits and veggies than I was! (probably a 150% increase with one drink)

2. search for and try meals that have little or no meat and lots of veggies. Save and repeat the ones we like.

3. Break my addiction to processed sugar/foods (ok, I'm actually still working up to this one. It's the most daunting of them all and will probably require a couple months of something drastic)

4. Focus on helping Lucy learn to eat right by feeding her a variety of fruits and veggies and avoiding processed sugar as much as possible.

That's it for now. Hopefully in the next several months I will be able to report that I am no longer addicted to sugar, that at least 5 meals a week consist primarily of veggies, and that my extra weight is melting away as Jason, Lucy and I eat healthy and get plenty of exercise. Maybe I will also be able to report that I have read something by Dr. Fuhrman. Maybe. We'll see!