Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Grilled Sirloin

On a recent trip to my favorite grocery store, one of those well positioned end cap sales caught my eye. You know, the ones that self proclaimed savvy shoppers typically tune out. It was a nice display of assorted sauces,  which is one of those products, much to my dismay, that usually contains gluten. I decided to stop and check it out, hoping to find a surprise on the off chance that this manufacturer had wised up to the demand for minimally processed and gluten free products.

It just so happens that the items on display were part of 'Bronco Bob's' All Natural Sauce Collection, and not only were they discounted, but they were GLUTEN FREE! With home made looking packaging, and a wide range of colors, several of the delectable flavors tickled my fancy; Smoked Bacon Chipotle, Tangy Apricot Chipotle, Orange Ginger Grilling Sauce....it was hard to choose. Without a particular recipe in mind, I had a hard time figuring out what I was going to do with this sauce when I got home.

I decided on the Roasted Raspberry Chipotle because I was sure that no matter what I put it on, it was going to sound, and taste, delicious. Sure enough, I scored and marinated a Tri Tip Sirloin steak in the sauce. I proceeded to grill the steak and am happy to report that the enticing name didn't disappoint. This is now one of my favorite marinades, and it's extremely simple!

Of course, you can make a similar sauce, or rub, yourself, which I also have done, but some nights call for something a little less time consuming.

While this isn't really a recipe, per se, it is encouragement to experiment with your cooking. It's not hard at all. Pay attention to the end cap sales, and if it's a healthy item that's being promoted, grab one. Then get creative and find a way to use it.

Next time you're at the store or farmer's market, buy something different, (with food prude standards in mind of course), and get creative!

Meet Satan.....

 .....uh, Seitan.....that is. Pronounced the same, and equally evil to wheat allergic and gluten intolerant foodies worldwide, this substance is descriptive of foods made from the gluten portion of wheat. Coincidence?


Wheat and gluten, also known in my house as contraband and kryptonite respectively, are detrimental to those who've met their tolerance threshold.

Seitan specifically is typically found in meat substitute food products, like veggie burgers, meatless nuggets, etc. It is the glutinous 'elastic mass' as wikipedia explains, that has a more chewy meat like texture than other vegetarian substitutes.

Word to the wise: Look for gluten (wheat, barley, oats, rye) in all things that stick together. Dough, Play-Doh, meatballs, meatloaf, hot dogs, veggie burgers, soups, dressings, condiments, sauces, beer, root beer, cookies, cakes, crackers, pastas, casseroles, etc.

Ignorance is Bliss....

....until it kills you. The old cliche "what you don't know can't hurt you," doesn't apply to nutrition. Purposely turning a blind eye to unhealthy food choices is terminally naive. Trust me, being a 'Freakin' Eurekan,' I am all for bliss, but not if it's going to cost me my health.

I'll admit, there is something refreshing about the sweet taste and fizzy feeling of a soda embracing your taste buds on the heels of a meal. Or is there? We all know it's bad for us. And those of us that are conscious consumers feel guilty if/when we do enjoy the occasional soda.  Would it help us stop drinking it if we stopped pretending we don't know it's harmful?

Here is a visual for you to use every time you crave a soda. Picture the acidic chemical laden beverage effecting each of part of your body as it goes down. Soda makes a lasting impression on our innards, and it's not something to be proud of.



Via: Term Life Insurance

Drink Responsibly!

A Double Dose of Gluttony.....

You've heard it. Obesity is an epidemic in America. I'm not going to beat a dead horse, (in this post anyway), I'm going to tell you a funny story.

On a recent trip to my sister's nursing home, the topic of over zealous eating and drinking came up and my brother, his girlfriend, my sister and I, discussed the shocking amounts of soda and other junk that many people, especially teens, are consuming everyday.

You are probably wondering what sparked this random conversation amidst the many subjects the four of us have to cover.

There was a giant travel mug with a popular soda brand label on it, sitting on a table in the lobby, where we sat, waiting for loose ends to be tied before we could take my sister out on a road trip. Everyone had glanced at it, wandering who it belonged to first, and what possessed someone to drink that much soda second, but no one said anything about it. It quickly became the elephant in the room, figuratively speaking.

So I decided to break the ice, and take a picture of it, for Food Prude's facebook fan page, of course, and the conversation that ensued led to a word of the day declaration. The word being 'gluttony.'

Shortly after receiving permission to leave the grounds, our quartet was happily on it's way to my sister's favorite restaurant, Red Lobster, which, unbeknownst to me, is a very un-allergy-friendly place to eat. 

Upon entering, we were promptly seated at a handicap accessible table which soon became the setting for our next experience with our new word of the day.

Soon our waiter addressed us and took our drink order, which is typically the best time to mention food allergies and ask for a specialty menu. Since I had never eaten at Red Lobster, and didn't have the opportunity to research the place before visiting, I didn't know if they were enlightened to the demand for gluten free menu items.

I asked if they had a gluten free menu by chance, and received the all to familiar puzzled look and stammered response, as the young, obviously new waiter said with a question in his voice "we have the Lighthouse Menu, for dieters?"

With understanding that I was now completely on my own, I politely responded with a chuckle and clarified that I was referring to allergens, and that he would know if they had a gluten free menu. He laughed, and simultaneously turned 3 shades of red as he said, "OH! I thought you were trying to say GLUTTON FREE!"

Focus On The Trees

Today I wrote while I ran. This post has nothing to do with food, but everything to do with discipline. Everyone has to go through hardships, some emotional, some physical. Meditation has helped me through many tough endeavors, including drug free child birth, while exercise helps me cope with stress, and both require commitment.

This article from the Mayo Clinic refers to exercise as meditation in motion, and briefly discusses the benefits of both.

Below is my running meditation.

The sun's up. Shoes on. Ipod shuffled. Muscles warm. Run. Inhale. Exhale. Keep running. Focus on the trees ahead. The air is stagnant. Their leaves drooping. Breathe. Inhale deep. Exhale. Run. One foot. Then the other. Meditate on the trees. Your breath blows through the branches dusting off their leaves. Think past your throbbing joints. Push through the fatigue. Quiet your screaming thoughts. Keep running. One foot. Then the other. Inhale. Exhale. Focus on the trees ahead. Their leaves need dusting.....

What's your coping mechanism? Is it working for you? Does it benefit you in the long run? If you can't answer these questions with confidence, it may be time to change things up.

Living Without

Recognize the title? If you frequent health food stores such as Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Market Street, you've probably seen this magazine at the checkout stand.

It is a great resource for gluten free, food allergic, and otherwise discerning eaters. Be prepared though, it's not cheap. At $5.95 an issue, or a subscription of 6 issues/year for $23, it can deter you from committing.

However, it is a good investment. The recipes are simple enough for rookies, but enticing enough to keep even the veterans interested.

Further, the articles are very eduactional, and supportive of special diets of all kinds.

If you need a little reassurance that you are not the only person on the planet with a food intolerance, or prudent diet, you might want to give it a read.

Check out the website at www.livingwithout.com and sign up for the email recipes for some new ideas to refresh your menu.

No Coincidence

I  apologize in advance for the cliche, but this is food for thought: An individual's scope of wellness cannot be limited to the ingredients ingested. With a more holistic approach, I'd like to focus on another component of general health in this post and that is mental nourishment.

Below is a short story I wrote about a desire for mind candy turned on it's head by pre-ordained details. What I learned from this experience is pertinent to the goal of this blog. Our brains are just as absorbent as our gut, what we put in will have an effect on the surface it touches, regardless of how harmless we think it is, or how hard we try to convince ourselves that it won't.

Let me preface this by saying, I'm not an extremist, I'm not self righteous, and I don't run a cult. With that said, take alcohol for example. We all know that large amounts of alcohol, over a period of time will result in serious damage to the liver. With such common knowledge, how can anyone expect that repetitive exposure to dramatic, gory, negative, or Gothic themed information wouldn't wreak havoc on our thoughts, and eventually our spirits?

No Coincidence

A few weeks ago, while visiting my sister in hospice, I was fortunate enough to experience one of those moments. The kind we long for. When we can feel God's presence, when His guidance comes across in tangible and literal means that we can understand, and even *feel.*

After another emotional conversation, where we consoled each other about her impending yet all too early death, my sister was sleepy and informed me of her need to nap. I kissed her on the forehead and quietly left her room, not sure of where I was headed, but desperate for a distraction from the thoughts and emotions coursing through my mind and body.

I found myself at a nearby used bookstore, and I was looking forward to the challenge that awaited me. Much to my delight, I noticed that this cute little second hand 'reader's Heaven' was busting at the seems, and the '50% OFF ALL BOOKS' sign, which was merely a desperate attempt to remedy their surplus predicament, was to my benefit. I was sure to find a treasure here, so I eagerly proceeded to scour the place. From floor to ceiling I gave each book a once over, determined to find the perfect book to take my mind off of my aching heart.

As I drew closer and closer to the check out counter, at the end of the well planned and slightly over analyzed circle and zigzag pattern I had made throughout the store, my confidence waned, and I became anxious about my treasure-less destiny. A sense of urgency rushed over me when I realized I had been in the store for more than an hour, many customers had come and gone, yet I was still there, searching, hoping to find a decent, yet self indulgent excuse to avoid the feelings I was choking on.

Amidst my racing thoughts, I said a quick prayer that went something like this, "Lord, please show me the way, guide me, help me find a book to get me through this, give me the book that YOU want me to read."

The very next book I grabbed was 'Learning to Breathe Again' by Tammy Trent. The description reads, "Choosing Life and Finding Hope After A Shattering Loss." Really? I thought. Really, God? I was hoping it would be something that would make me happy, take my mind OFF of my personal 'tragedy,' not something that would make me deal with it.

I put the book back on the shelf and continued down the bookcase just in case the answer to my prayer was a little delayed and there was a different book waiting for me. Within seconds my phone rang. Embarrassed by how loud it was in this quiet, empty, bookstore, I scrambled to answer it quickly, and in a whisper I said "Hi Mom, are you there? OK, I'll be there," and hung up.

My mother was meeting me, and she was only 5 minutes away from our destination. Disappointed, and unwilling to leave without a book, I reached for that sad one I had so quickly dismissed. I looked at it long and hard, Tammy's face on the cover staring back at me, and I said, as if I were speaking to Tammy herself, "I guess you're it." And headed for the checkout.

Unable to make chit chat without losing control of the lump in my throat, I hastily paid the store owner his $3.27 and left as fast as I could. Still disappointed that I didn't find anything lighthearted, and anxious to receive a hug from my mother, I tossed the book into my passenger seat and drove down the road to our meeting place.

Much later that night, when I finally arrived at my parent's house, after a physically and emotionally exhausting day with my cancer riddled, paraplegic sister, I managed to stumble into bed with Tammy's book in my hand. I had conceded. If this is what God wanted me to read, then I was going to read it. It didn't mean I was going to like it, it just meant that I was going to play along.

It is no coincidence that this book found it's way into my life. I have struggled with grief, and loneliness, and an inability to imagine how I will continue to live without my big sister guiding me, celebrating every blessing with me and comforting me through every hardship.

God knew this, and encouraged me through Tammy's story of heartbreak and healing. Tammy closes her book with this final testimonial:
"No matter what, God's still here, and at the end of the day, God is enough. Always has been, always will be. He can handle whatever we dish out. He laughs with us in the good times, he carries us through the pain, and when tragedy knocks the wind out of us, he helps us learn to breathe again."

I am humbled by, and eternally grateful for these 'non-coincidences'. They serve as tangible reminders to us, that we are not aimlessly wandering mortals with a sometimes painful, and otherwise meaningless existence. We are predestined children of God, and guidance is there for the asking.

*As a food prude, be aware of your input on all levels, and fill your life with information that is valuable.