Friday Night Lite- Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

     Last weeks Friday Night Lite was such a hit, I've decided to make it a recurring "event".  This Friday's dinner? Homemade Pizza with whole wheat flax dough. This week we did chicken sausage and onion pizza. Get creative with your toppings and sauces! If you need some inspiration I've included a list below of some of the pizza's we've made in our household along with the recipe for our crust.

 Pizzas:

Chicken Sausage, Onion

Pesto, Feta, Artichoke, Garlic

Caprese Pizza with Red Sauce

Sausage, Bell Pepper, Onion, Mushroom

Deep Dish Pepperoni

Additional Pizzas:

Veggie Pizza, BBQ Chicken Pizza, Mexican Pizza, Chicken Pesto Pizza

Special Note: I always use organic or homemade sauce, organic chicken, and NO NITRATE or Preservative sausage/pepperoni.

1

00% Whole Wheat and Flax Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1 packet dry active yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups 100% whole wheat flour
1 T Flaxmeal
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil + more to rub on bowl
1/2 teaspoon salt (I sometimes also season w/garlic powder, and oregano)

Directions:

1. Mix yeast and ¼ cup warm water (and 1 tsp sugar, molasses or honey) and let sit until foamy and doubled in size (about 10 minutes). 

2. When yeast is ready, stir in the remaining water, olive oil and honey. Mix into flour and knead to create a dough (You may need to add a bit more flour if dough is too sticky).
3. Place in an olive oil-rubbed bowl and cover. Let rise for 2-3 hours. Then refrigerate. (it is easier to work with the dough if it’s chilled a bit)

Creating your crust:

The dough will make two large thin crusts, or one thick crust. The whole grain flavor can overwhelm the toppings, so pick thin vs. thick accordingly. 

1. Form the dough into ball(s). 

2. On a flat surface sprinkled with loose flour or corn meal, press down in the middle of the ball to make a bowl. 

3. Do your best to make a circle.

      Thick crust: use your fingers to flatten outward from the middle.

      Thin crust: use a rolling pin.

4. Transfer to pan and poke some holes with a fork to prevent air bubbles. 

*Add sauce and toppings, and lightly brush uncovered crust with olive oil.

The Flax of Life

     Adding Flaxseed to your diet can help reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. This powerful lignan is packed with fiber, protein, and Omega-3's (especially great if you don't eat fish). So, how can you add this into your diet? It's easy- don't be intimidated, just keep reading.

     First, hit your grocery store's baking aisle. Ground Flaxseed (aka, Flaxmeal), can usually be found near the flour section. While you can purchase whole flaxseeds, your body will absorb the ground variety much better and it has higher potency than flax oil. You can also purchase online by clicking here. 

    Next it's time to incorporate flax into your everyday diet. With little flavor, you can add flax to pretty much anything you eat/drink. A few tablespoons will do the trick. Here's a list of some of the things I add flax to in our cooking; smoothies, casseroles, pasta sauces, yogurt, pizza and pie crust, cookies, breads, and salads. 

     I love flaxseed and as you can see it's fairly easy to add into your diet. It's one more step towards living a more nutritious life.

More Information:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed

http://www.torontosun.com/life/healthandfitness/2010/09/17/15387571.html

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100929/LIFE02/9290330/-1/hawkeye_insider/Omega-3-fatty-acids-aid-health

Friday Night Lite- Sloppy Joes & Oven "fries"

     If you're like me you like to have something a little more "fun" for dinner on Friday nights. Tonight we're having Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes featured in the May 2010 edition of Cooking Light (Click Here for Recipe). 

This is both a healthy and budget conscience recipe that your whole family will love. (I used fresh tomatoes from my garden, organic carrots and beans, and Grass-Fed Ground Beef.  Feel free to use ground turkey or chicken instead)

     For a side dish, we are having mama's homemade oven fries. My daughter HATES all things potato, but when I whip up these "fries" she gobbles them right up. Hope you enjoy them as much as her!

Mama's Homemade Oven Fries 

Ingredients:

3 Medium Size Potatoes (I used a mix of organic Minnesota Gold Potatoes and sweet potatoes)

Sea Salt

Vegetable Oil

Directions:

Heat oven to 425

Peel Potatoes and cut into "fry-like" shape

put into a plastic storage container (BPA free preferred:)

Put about 3 T Vegetable oil in container

sprinkle with sea salt (garlic or season salt is good too)

Cover and Shake to cover

Spread onto a cookie sheet and bake at 425 about 20 min.

More Than Skin Deep

     


    Every day you are using personal care products may expose you to more than 168 synthetic chemicals. "Many have known or suspected links to serious health problems like cancer, infertility, birth defects, and hormone disruption." (Click here for full story) 
     After I educated myself on all these awful products I went on a personal-care product purging spree. Below is what I replaced in my daily routine along with a list of some ingredients to avoid.


What's in my medicine cabinet?
Deodorant: Aluminum-Free  such as Tom's of Maine
Lotion:  Extra Virgin Olive Oil (once absorbed you won't smell like a Italian restaurant:)
Shampoo/Conditioner: Aveda Products (Trader Joe's Tea Tree Shampoo is a cheaper option)
Moisturizers/Eye Cream: Burts Bees
Hand Soap: Trader Joes "Next to Godliness"  Lavender & Chamomile 
Bar Soap: Trader Joes "Tea Tree Oil Natural Vegetable Soap" (this stuff is great and CHEAP!!)


What I look for in a label:
NOTHING with the word paraben, no synthetic dyes, sulfite's,  phthalates, triclosan (and that's only some)


Click Here to find out what's in your personal products


In general if you can't pronounce the  ingredient it's most likely not safe for your skin. Also, the shorter the ingredient list the better! And remember, it's about reducing your exposure.


More Information:
Below article provides a great breakdown of the dangers of each ingredient:
http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/life/article/640314--what-s-in-a-shampoo

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/dont-just-be-pretty-have_b_733000.html

http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/chemicals-glossary/parabens.html

Burts Bees  http://www.burtsbees.com/

Cooking With Chemicals

   The chemical used in non-stick cookware (referred to as PFOA's) has recently been under scrutiny for causing higher cholesterol in kids, and has been said to possibly cause cancer as well. This is especially true when the chemical is heated at extreme temperatures and/or has scratches or missing layer of non-stick coating.

   I did a TON of research on my safest cookware option. You don't need to go out and buy the supposed "eco" or "green" cookware. The best bet (and thankfully the cheapest): Old Fashioned Cast Iron. 

   The good news is that the EPA aims to totally eliminate PFOA's by 2015. In the mean time, please consider taking matters into your own hands (I provided a link below for a basic cast iron skillet at Wal Mart).

More Information:

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/08/chemical-linked-to-rise-in-kids-cholesterol/

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-parenting/2010/09/07/3-ways-to-reduce-the-health-risks-of-nonstick-chemical-pfoa

http://www.iatp.org/iatp/press.cfm?refid=89766

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lodge-10-1-4-Cast-Iron-Skillet/5969628?sourceid=1500000000000003260370&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=5969628

Lets Talk Dirty (produce that is)

     There is a lot of information regarding the physical and environmental benefits of organic produce. The most recent study proved that children who eat organic produce versus conventional produce have significantly less pesticides in their body. Excessive pesticides in the body are linked to multiple health issues. Bottom line is Pesticides are poison so why would I want to put them in my body? Contrary to popular belief you cannot simply wash off pesticides. 

     Below is a list of  the produce that contains the highest amount of pesticides and therefore you should try to purchase organic or substitute with something else. It can be more expensive at times, so I suggest  purchasing bulk amounts when on sale and freezing for later use.

The Dirty Dozen Produce List (produce with the highest levels of pesticides):

celery, apples, potatoes, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, nectarines, sweet bell peppers, grapes, lettuce, spinach/kale/collard greens.

  According to the Environmental Working Group you can reduce your pesticide exposure by 80% simply avoiding the most contaminated products. I buy organic where it matters as well as if the organic version of a product is barely more expensive than the conventional. Like I've said many times before. It's all about reducing your exposure. 

For More Information on this topic:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129629752

http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/news/20100820/pesticide-exposure-linked-to-adhd-risk

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-06-01/health/dirty.dozen.produce.pesticide_1_pesticide-residue-pesticide-tests-fruits-and-vegetables?_s=PM:HEALTH

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3076638/

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods

Healthy Dressing

We usually use balsamic vinegar and EVOO for our salads, but sometimes you need a creamy dressing. We don't buy most commercial salad dressing anymore since it's loaded with MSG, synthetic dyes, HFCS, etc, etc. Here's a great healthy recipe for yogurt dressing (sometimes I modify the spices a bit to use for dip)

Tangy Yogurt Dressing

1 C plain non-fat Yogurt
1/8 C EVOO
T Lemon Juice
2 Cloves Garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
handful of basil and cilantro
Dash of crushed red pepper

Enjoy!