In The News; Biathlon, Garden and Other Stuff

The biggest news of the week is that tomorrow I will be doing something I've never done before...a biathlon! Yeah, you read that right. If you've been reading my blog for a while than you are fully aware that a) I do not run on a regular basis and b) the only time I bike is to work, which is about one half a mile away. Needless to say, I'm terrified! The race is 30k on the bike and then a 5k run. The full race is a triathlon, but my friend and I opted out of the swimming part because honestly the bike and run will be hard enough. I'll try to take some pictures of this monumental event, and post them sometime next week. I've been "training" the last couple weeks, but not quite like most of you train....... The one thing I have on my side is that I know how to fuel my body and eat/drink right the days before and the day of the event. Last night I did some "carb loading"......

I mean, come on, beer is full of electrolytes, carbohydrates, fluid, and B-vitamins. It was the perfect choice! Obviously tonight, the night before the race, I will stick to water and sports drinks :)

For my dinner last night I had grilled shrimp and loads of fresh vegetables. We went to dinner with some of our good friends, Cathy and Rob. We always have a blast when we go out with them, and we always eat tasty food. This was no exception.

Tomorrow before the race I'm going to have a small breakfast. I know how my bowels work when I'm nervous so I'm going to be careful not to eat too much and especially not to drink too much coffee. I plan on having some of my granola, a small banana, and a cup of coffee. I am going to pack a sports bar for the ride, as well as a sports drink of some kind (to replenish the electrolytes I lose via sweat).



And in other news, check out our garden!


The cantaloupe, spinach, and kale have not survived, most likely because of the overgrowth of our butternut squash (yes, we planted a few too many). We're still learning the keys to a successful garden. We have about 15-20 butternut squash, so far. Once they are ready to be harvested we plan on roasting them and then freezing them so we can enjoy delicious butternut squash throughout the fall and maybe even into the winter.

We also have several tomatoes, which will probably be gone within a few days after harvest, because we both love fresh tomatoes. Who doesn't?!

Ok, now it's time for the REAL news of the week!

Restaurants Cut Back on Salt, But They're Keeping it Quiet
(This is brilliant. We all know that most people will automatically assume that anything containing "less salt" will likely taste bland, so why not keep it quiet?! )



McDonald's To Make Happy Meals More Healthful
(The plan is to add a serving of fruit to each Happy Meal. They are also decreasing the portion of fries.)



Fortification Drives Consumer Definition of "Healthy"
(Looks like fortification of food products are creating more and more health halos in the aisles.)


Senators Urge FDA Action On Gluten-Free Labeling
(It's about time! Now, let's follow through with this....)



Designing a Better Food Label
(We all know that our current food label is incredibly outdated, and still very confusing. Now there is a new website that is asking for your ideas on how to make it better!)



QUESTION: What are your weekend plans? Have you ever done a biathlon or triathlon??

"Homemade" Greek Yogurt

Have you ever noticed that your frequent purchases of Greek yogurt is eating at your wallet? I recently found out why Greek yogurt is so darn expensive when I decided to "make my own".

Here is Wikepedia's definition of Greek Yogurt;

Strained yogurt, yogurt cheese, labneh, or Greek yogurt is yogurt which has been strained in a cloth or paper bag or filter to remove the whey, giving a consistency between that of yogurt and cheese, while preserving yogurt's distinctive sour taste. Like many yogurts, strained yogurt is often made from milk which has been enriched by boiling off some of the water content, or by adding extra butterfat and powdered milk.

I did not start from scratch (I lost interest in making yogurt from scratch after my failed attempt last time). I simply grabbed some some regular vanilla yogurt from my fridge and drained it so the whey would go "awhey". HA!

I was obviously not prepared for this little experiment, as I didn't even have cheesecloth. Cheesecloth is used in cheese making for the sole purpose of removing whey from the cheese curds. If you try this at home, I recommend cheesecloth, or you can do what I did and use a steam basket.

After about 4 hours I noticed my once very watery yogurt was nice and creamy.

Most of the liquid whey ended up in the saucepan.

Now I understand why Greek yogurt costs twice as much as regular yogurt; it requires twice as much milk! This container started off completely filled, and this is how much Greek yogurt was left after all the whey was drained.


I wonder what yogurt companies do with the excess liquid? I'm thinking it would be a great idea to sell it to supplement companies so they could turn it into whey powder, right? That brings me to some points about Greek yogurt;

• It probably isn't the best choice right after a workout, because the protein in Greek yogurt is casein, which is a slowly absorbed protein (Best to eat at night so the protein can slowly feed your muscles throughout the night).

• If you are lactose intolerant you may be able to handle Greek yogurt better than regular yogurt. This is because most of the lactose leaves with the liquid whey.

QUESTION: Have you ever "made your own" Greek yogurt?

Summer Breakfast and Summer Reading

For the past two years my breakfast has included a bowl of oatmeal with yogurt, pumpkin (or berries, or sweet potato), and almond butter. Even last summer I couldn't give up my hot oatmeal breakfast. This summer, however, I have finally given up the hot oats and have switched to a cooler, higher protein breakfast......

Every morning, after my coffee (I'm down to only 2 cups, or about 250mg caffeine!!!) and my workout, I grab a bowl and load it with the following; ~1 cup plain Greek yogurt and regular yogurt (combined), ~ 1/2 cup frozen blueberries or fresh strawberries, ~ 1/4 cup homemade granola, ~ 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 packet natural, calorie and sugar-free sweetener.

Delicious. This keeps me full for a couple hours, and I look forward to it just as much as my oats!

I believe the key to a good breakfast is to include about 10-20 grams of protein, some whole grains, and a fruit or vegetable (hmmmm, sounds like MyPlate, right?!). But of course, anything is better than nothing (well, maybe...), so if you aren't eating breakfast I encourage you to start small, and build up to a nice hearty and healthy breakfast. Do you know how long it takes me to throw together the above creation? About 3 minutes. No excuses.

QUESTION: Have you changed your breakfast lately? Or, have you been eating the same thing for a while now?

Are you a reader? I didn't used to be, but over the last three or four years I've probably read over fifty books (for me, that's unheard of). Summertime is a great opportunity to grab a great book, sit outside with some cold iced tea and relax. I recently read this book;

This book kept me entertained, which is always an indication of a good book (my ADD kicks in if the book is boring and uninteresting). It's about two sisters who have quite an interesting, yet loving relationship. Their mom passed away several years ago and there is some speculation that their father had something to do with her death. The sisters now live far apart from one another but Thanksgiving and their ill father brings them together for a couple weeks. While the situation is quite awkward at first, it ends up being a very memorable holiday. Overall I rate this book a 7.5 out of 10. It was a quick read with a unique story and well-developed characters.

Two other books I've read this summer include Speak No Evil and The Swimming Pool. Click on the links to read more about them. Currently I'm reading Gaining, which is about life after eating disorders. I'm learning more about myself and my past than I ever could have imagined. I have shed a few tears and had a few epiphanies along the way. I plan on writing an autobiography one day, because I think it would be good therapy for me to write out my whole life story. I never thought my story was very unique, but I'm finding that it actually is. I mean, a dietitian with a history of an eating disorder?! Come on! And, you'll soon find out that my becoming a dietitian actually helped me escape my ED. At first it fueled it, but in the end, it was a lifesaver.

QUESTION: Do you have any suggestions for some good summer (or anytime!) books?

This Week's Nutrition and Health News

Here are some of my favorite nutrition and health articles from this week;

Still Counting Calories? Your Weight-Loss Plan May Be Outdated
(Dietitians and other healthcare professionals always say, "calories in vs. calories out"....but is it really that simple? Not necessarily)



Really? The Claim: Allergies Reduce the Risk of Cancer
(Should I be excited about my itchy eyes, scratchy throat, and runny nose?!?!)

Source: iStock Photo

First Lady Teams Up With Grocers Nationwide
(Ok, so let's say Obama is not longer president after 2012, I'm praying that Michelle Obama will continue her quest to help combat obesity! She's doing some amazing things for this country.)



Resist Temptation With All Your (Muscle) Might
(Clench your fists before you make a decision between let's say...fruit and a piece of cake. You might make a better choice. Sounds strange, but science is science!)


Source: iStock Photo


Milk Campaign Ended Amid Social Media Firestorm
(Some people are just so sensitive. I do believe milk is great for PMS prevention, actually. Or any milk alternative with 20-30% vitamin D and calcium. It really does work. For even more help, add a magnesium supplement.)

QUESTION: What was your favorite health and nutrition article from this week?

Roasted Broccoli With Curry

Thank you for all of your wonderful comments on my last post. I read every single one of them. While I may not respond to everyone, it doesn't mean I don't care (I just don't have the time!). I am excited to post my review of the book, as I have learned so much already and am not even half way through.

For today, I'm talking about roasted broccoli. I've always been confused about the difference between roasting and baking. Anyone else?? Even after reading the definition below, I'm still a bit confused.

Roast (source: FoodNetwork.com)

noun. 1. A piece of meat—such as a rib roast—that's large enough to serve more than one person. Such a meat cut is usually cooked by the roasting method. 2. Food, usually meat, that has been prepared by roasting. roast verb. To oven-cook food (from meats to vegetables) in a shallow uncovered pan, a method that ideally produces a well-browned exterior and moist interior. The temperatures for roasting are typically higher than for baking, and the pan must be uncovered so the food doesn't stew in its own juices. Another common denominator for roasting is that it requires fat, either as part of the food (as with duck) or added (as one would to roasted potatoes). Cuts of meat or poultry to be roasted must be reasonably tender—tougher pieces are better served with moist cooking methods such as braising.

When I think of baking something, the first thing that comes to mind is cake. So, I'm calling this roasted broccoli (veggies are a part of the "verb" definition above, afterall). Even though I didn't use a shallow uncovered pan, I did use a high temperature, an uncovered baking sheet, and I added fat.

ROASTED BROCCOLI, WITH CURRY

Ingredients

• 1 head of broccoli, rinsed and trimmed

• ~10 squirts of EVOO ( I used a squirt bottle)

• 2 tsp curry powder

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 tsp salt

** Other possible ingredients to add flavor instead of curry; lemon wedges (squeeze the juice on top!) or flavored balsamic vinegar (such as blueberry or fig) **

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  

• Break up the broccoli stalk and stems (with hands or a knife) into chunks of reasonable size.

• Disperse onto a large baking pan

• Spray with EVOO

• Sprinkle your seasonings on top

• Put in preheated over for 15-20 minutes
  

Is this the healthiest way of cooking broccoli? Not really because the high heat will bring about some nutrient loss, but it's better than some (aka; boiling!). Also, by adding the oil you will enhance the absorption of the vitamin K and the carotenoids found in broccoli.

I'm really trying to experiment more with the health-promoting cruciferous vegetables. Nick and I are sort of sick of eating them steamed all the time. And of course whenever I read Julie's blog I always want to grill and roast all veggies! I think I want to try this caramelized cauliflower dish next!

Question: What's your favorite cruciferous vegetable? Mine is definitely broccoli. And the great thing is that I no longer need Beano in order to consume it!

An Insight on Eating Disorders

As many of you know, I used to have an eating disorder. While I have no one to blame but myself, I do know that my mom's constant weight-talk that went on (and still goes on) my entire life affected me more than I ever knew (this article talks a bit about how mother's attitudes about dieting and body image affect their children). My mom is certainly not the only women who talks about weight in front of their children, but I think among the thousands of things my mom has taught me, one of the most important thing is to never discuss weight and dieting (unless in a positive way) in front of my own children. Clearly there are many other variables that go into creating the perfect candidate for an eating disorder; for me my Type A personality played a large role. I had sort of a hard time during my junior year of high school and I felt the overwhelming need to control something, and controlling my weight was easy. I was damn good at it, but in a very unhealthy and torturous way.

Here are some eating disorder (anorexia and bulimia) statistics from the South Carolina Department of Mental Health

• It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder – seven million women and one million men
• One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia
• Two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia
• Nearly half of all Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder (Note: One in five Americans suffers from mental illnesses.)
• An estimated 10 – 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are males

And what about disordered eating? The Journal of the American Dietetic Association recently published a study that concluded "disordered eating behaviors are not just an adolescent problem, but continue to be prevalent among young adults. Findings suggest that early use is likely to set the stage for ongoing use, and there is a serious need for early intervention"

So even those who don't have full blown eating disorders may still be living a life overly focused on food, fat, calories, etc. After I had anorexia I developed disordered eating, where I ate plenty of calories, but was still constantly preoccupied with food and how it would effect my body. I thought about food constantly, whether in a positive or negative way (when I say positive, I mean that I was still depriving myself to the point where I would get overly excited when I allowed myself a bowl of ice cream). This was not normal, this was disordered eating.



Sometimes I get scared to have children of my own because I really believe that these statistics are only going to get worse as our children plant themselves in front of the TV more often and view weight-related commercials or segments on TV. Or even when they are in school checking their Yahoo mail, and this pops up;



I think I'd rather my child watch porn on TV than view this type of add, with unrealistic cartoon images of someone going from obese, to Barbie thin, making them think this is something they should do in order to be accepted. And these ads are just the tip of the iceberg. Go ahead and pick up any type of health or fitness magazine and you'll quickly notice that every single picture is of a skinny and fit girl or guy, because, after all, you can't be 30 pounds overweight and healthy. Nope, you must be thin, thin, thin. And gorgeous, of course. The only overweight pictures in magazines these days are ones of the person "before" their diet, always followed by their new skinny and "healthy" picture.


While my eating disorder has been behind me for several years now, I was absolutely elated to receive a package in the mail at work, which contained a book titled; Gaining.

A friend from my high school, who I saw for the first time in several years at our reunion this year, sent it to me. I was so touched. She told me she reads my blog and had recently read this book and thought I might enjoy it.

I found this review from Publishers Weekly on Amazon.com;

Thirty years after Liu penned Solitaire documenting her teenage experience with anorexia nervosa, she recounts her midlife relapse and recovery. Liu exposes many myths surrounding eating disorders, with a combination of research and in-depth interviews with other former anorexics and bulimics. She interviews men and women of various cultural and economic backgrounds to refute the notion that anorexia and bulimia affect only "modern rich white girls." Liu's interviewees range from Rob, a 50-year-old physician, to Jessica, an Australian 25-year-old aspiring actress. Liu devotes many chapters to the impact of family on the anorexic or bulimic, contradicting the accepted belief that the victim is "the sick one"; rather, she locates the starting point of the disease in genetics, family life, shame and personality. Like other victims, Liu finds a history of mental disorders in her family, ranging from alcoholism to obsessive-compulsive disorder. According to Liu, a manifestation of an eating disorder is a call for help and should be treated as early as possible, and she fleshes out facts and statistics with her personal interviews, making this book poignant even for those who have not suffered from an eating disorder. (Feb. 22)


I plan on writing my own review of this book once I am finished.

Here are some good reads on eating disorders that I have recently found online or in magazines. The last one is a blog post I wrote last year.

When Eating Disorders Strike in Midlife


Insights From Eating Disorder Counseling
(Great tips for any clinician working with people who have eating disorders)


Pro-Anorexia Websites; Kate and Pippa as "Thinspiration"
(This is truly disturbing)

More Young Children Are Alarmingly Thin

(This was in our local paper yesterday. The stats are startling)

Do You Weigh Yourself?

Question: Do you have any personal or non-personal experiences with eating disorders?

Let's not forget, while most information focuses more on anorexia and bulimia, binge eating disorder and orthorexia (the newest "eating disorder") are also serious eating disorders that can destroy lives. If you or a loved one have signs of an eating disorder, I encourage you to seek help before the problem grows deeper.

This Week's Health and Nutrition News

Here are some interesting health and nutrition articles from this week;

Genetically Modified Foods Don't Sit Well In US

Want to know if your food contains GMOs? If you live in the U.S. you may never know.

Do you tend to eat more at night? Fattening food may be giving you the munchies.

Source: iStock Photo

Binge Eating May Be a High All Its Own

and

When Fatty Feasts Are Driven By Automatic-Pilot

My advice? Stick with complex carbohydrates at night. They help you sleep (by helping tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier and convert to serotonin), and they may help fight the munchies since they aren't packed with fat. Watch your portions though, obviously.

Extracting the Facts About Pomegranate Pills

Have you heard? Pomegranates now come in pill form. I find this strange, but maybe because I love pomegranates! I can't imagine swallowing them in a pill, and not tasting their amazing flavors.

Chain Restaurants Commit to Adding Healthier Items to Their Children's Menus

It's about time!! I'm just hoping that in addition to adding healthy foods, they also work on making their current not-so-healthy foods a bit healthier. What kid is going to order a veggie wrap over chicken nuggets?? Probably not many. I would feel great knowing that they chicken nuggets were lower in sodium and perhaps served with a fruit or vegetable instead of fries. I'm finding that most kids actually really enjoy broccoli.

Waterlogged America: Do We Drink Too Much?

In short, YES! We do drink too much water, and most often for the wrong reasons.

Meet Labels: A Lot of Fine Print To Read

Do you ever find it difficult to decipher what meat/poultry/pork labels actually mean? This article is a must-read! It defines many of the ambiguous label claims.

QUESTION: Did you read anything this week worth sharing?

Are Health Halos Making You Eat More?

Have you noticed the ever-expanding variety of functional foods that exist in supermarkets? A functional food is one that claims to have health-promoting properties, beyond the basic functions of the calories and other nutrients the food provides. One of the earliest examples was iodized salt, which was created to help prevent goiters, and then we added folic acid to wheat to help prevent neural tube defects.

Source: iStock Photo

I've always believed, as the new dietary guidelines point out, "there are no bad foods, only bad food patterns". So when someone asks me if a certain food is "bad" or "good", I make it clear that any food can fit into a healthy diet and lifestyle. Some functional foods are certainly better for you than others, but how do you know if a "health food" is really providing the benefits you are banking on?

Joy Bauer, the Today Show dietitian, once said, "Make sure the food was healthy before the "functional part" was added"

I love this!

For example, would you think these chips (below) were healthy if they didn't include flaxseeds? Probably not. But might you eat more of them simply because they include the "health promoting flaxseeds?" Probably! This is an example of a health halo. I'm not saying these chips (or other functional foods) are bad, I'm simply saying that just because a food has a healthy component, doesn't mean you should eat twice as much. Ask yourself, "was the food healthy before the functional part was added?" If the answer is no, still enjoy the food, but don't let the health halo lead you to eating more than enough.



By the way, in order for the beneficial fats and other nutrients to be absorbed from the flaxeeds in these chips and any product that uses whole flaxseeds, they need to be ground. So.....you better chew these chips well!

Restaurant Health Halos

In a recent article from Nutrition Action Magazine a study was reported, which showed that customers underestimated the calories they consumed at restaurants that sounded more healthy. Health halo restaurants are ones that are typically known by customers to be more healthy, such as.....well, you know what they are. People underestimated how many calories they were consuming at certain health halo restaurants by about 27 percent, but only underestimated their calorie consumption at a place like McDonalds by only 19 percent.


Here are some startling nutrition facts from one common health halo restaurant:

- All Natural soups and chilis have up to 1600 mg sodium in a serving. All natural= All loaded with sodium


- Some breakfast options have up to 1500 mg sodium.


- Turkey sandwiches have up to 1900 mg sodium and 1000 calories. That's before any sides are added.


- Whole salads up to 850 calories (before the dressing!) and 1650 mg sodium (before the dressing!)


- Small frozen drinks; 82 grams sugar (includes milk sugar, but still!).

But the great thing about these health halo restaurants is that you will always find healthier options on the menu (which is why they are known as healthier places to eat), but that's not the point. People go into these places and assume everything is healthier than let's say...McDonalds! But this just isn't the case.

Other Health Halo Examples

Organic and natural foods are also a common health halo food. People were asked to estimate the calories in foods labeled as "organic" and they estimated the calories as being 15 to 20 percent lower in the organic foods, compared to their non-organic counterparts.



Low fat foods have a health halo, as was shown by one study where people ate 21 to 47 percent more calories from foods they were told were "low fat". This was the case even if they reported the taste as being inferior to the full-fat counterpart!



QUESTION: Do you think you fall in health halo traps? I know I have before....

I found this article super interesting. It discussed why "diet food" is so dissatisfying. It has a lot to do with our perception of food, which has a lot to do with what I discussed in this post.

Walnuts. Eat Them!

Did you know that walnuts are packed with a combination of more high-quality antioxidants than any other nut? Yeah, I didn't know this either, until I read it in an article in Today's Dietitian Magazine. Scientists recently reported these findings at the American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition, and it turns out that a handful of walnuts contains close to two times the amount of antioxidants as the same handful of any other nut (peanuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.). And it's not just the high-quality antioxidants in walnuts that make them so amazing, they are also packed with high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. And let's not forget that walnuts, unlike any other nut, are also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids (alpha linolenic acid) (** But remember they also contain significant amounts of 0mega-6 fatty acids, so you need to balance these out! **)

Source: iStockPhoto

The article also mentioned another unique quality regarding walnuts, which is that they are typically eaten raw, without roasting. Other nuts are often roasted, therefore the quality of their antioxidants decrease.

So what are some ways you can start enjoying more walnuts?

• Add them to your oatmeal, cereal or pancakes in the morning.
  

• Make walnut butter!

• Add that walnut butter to just about anything; rice cakes, sandwiches, crackers, mix it with squash and yogurt (haha, random!).....
  

.... add it to oatmeal with cooked sweet potato.

• Throw some walnuts on top of quick breads or add them to any type of muffin (before baking).
  

• Or, just eat them by the handful!

QUESTION: What are some ways you incorporate walnuts into your diet?

This Week's Health and Nutrition News

I hope everyone had a great week and is having a nice weekend. The weather here has been spectacular. Nick and I have been trying to take advantage by working in the garden, going on walks, and for Nick...riding his bike to work, which is now a 45 minute bike ride!

Just like last weekend, today I have rounded up the most interesting nutrition and health articles from the week (according to me!). Here they are in random order, starting with a quote;

“Let nothing which can be treated by diet be treated by other means.” -Maimonides


AMEN!

New Study Implicates Environmental Factors in Autism
(I am always interested in learning new things about Autism. While it may not significantly impact my job, I do get a lot of questions about diet and autism, so the more I know the better!)

Healthy Lifestyle Is Medicine
(I thought this was one of those no brainer studies, but the results were pretty interesting)

Source: iStock Photo

Tiny Belly Scheme

(You've seen these ads, right?! My question is; who the heck really believes this? Apparently tons of people have been scammed.)

Putting The pH Diet To The Acid Test

(This is a diet that I have actually had people try to convince me is a sound, healthy way to eat. While I agree that a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains is better than one loaded with lots of animal proteins, and few fruits and veggies, I would never suggest taking any eating plan to this extreme. Just like our own bodies can help us "Detox", they also keep our acid levels balanced and neutral. Don't be fooled by this!)

Obesity Rates in America

(Brian Williams told me on the NBC World news the other day that currently only one state has an obesity rate under 20%, and that's Colorado. But sadly, they aren't too far at 19.8%)

Source: iStock Photo



Treating Obesity in the Womb
(You know obesity is a serious problem when studies are being done to try to combat obesity before a child is even born. This is crazy!)



Kraft Slips Cauliflower Into Mac and Cheese
(Yes, you read that right, Kraft is now adding cauliflower it some of its mac & cheese. This cauliflower is freeze-dried and then made into a powder. It's hardly as good for you as true cauliflower, and it's truly defeating the purpose of teaching your kids about how to enjoy vegetables, however, I think it's a step in the right direction. I actually want to try it!)

Source: iStock Photo

QUESTION: Did you read any other health and/or nutrition articles this week that were worth sharing?

Avocado Frozen Yogurt and Perfiteroles

Nick's sister, Meghan, is not only a surgeon but also a master chef. A few weeks ago she made dinner for Nick, Nick's mom, my family and me, and of course it was amazing. As I usually say, the best part was the dessert. She made profiteroles (fancy name for cream puffs). If I would have made these, I would have used this recipe (Rachael Ray's easy version), but Meghan did it the hard way and followed this recipe.




The "cream" inside this profiterole is actually gelato. She offered us one of three flavors; vanilla, coffee, or caramel. I chose vanilla and coffee, because....I wanted to :) If you've never made profiteroles (or cream puffs) I suggest that you do. Even if you use the simple recipe, it's a great way to impress guests. And of course, they taste amazing. I think if I ever do make profiteroles for a dinner party, I will fill them with Avocado Frozen Yogurt. Yes, you read that right, Avocado Frozen Yogurt!

I based the following recipe off of this recipe for Avocado Ice Cream, but I'm calling it fro yo because there is zero cream in this recipe (and zero added sugar!).

Gina's Avocado Frozen Yogurt

Serves ~8

Ingredients

3 ripe avocados
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
~6 tablespoons Truvia (or any natural, sugar-free sweetener)
8 ounces plain yogurt ( whichever kind you prefer, but I used Stonyfield)
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a a bowl or ice cream maker. If not using an ice cream maker, freeze in an airtight container for at least 2 hours. When ready to use, let it thaw slightly, giving it another stir.

** If you want this to be a vegan recipe, use soy or coconut yogurt instead of regular cow's milk yogurt. **

Since the frozen yogurt is sugar free, it did freeze rather fast, and became really hard. In fact, it turned into a frozen ROCK in the freezer.

After letting it sit out for about three hours, we were finally able to "chunk" it out (not scoop, it wasn't smooth enough). While the end product wasn't so pretty, it was the best frozen yogurt I've ever tasted (and Nick's mom agreed!).

I will be making this at least ten more times this summer. It was tasty even before it was frozen!

Nutrition Facts (estimated)

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

QUESTIONS: Do you like avocado? Have you ever tried it frozen in fro yo?! I actually made this recipe for work, but didn't put it in the ice cream maker. In other words, I made the fro yo base, but gave it out and called it "avocado yogurt", not fro yo, because it wasn't frozen. I added some granola on top for a nice crunch. Some people loved it, others hated it....it was interesting. I loved it. What can I say, I'm an avocado FREAK!

Party Time!

I hope everyone had a nice Fourth of July! Ours was relaxing. We didn't do much since we were still exhausted from parties on Saturday and Sunday night, but we did manage to see some of our local fireworks from our front yard (after Nick played a round of golf with his friends). We also hung out with my parents for a while and did a lot of wedding talk. I'm already stressed, but also extremely excited.

Check out our garden! That's a lot of butternut squash, cantaloupe and spinach. I hope it all turns out. It's definitely thriving in this hot and rainy summer weather.


I really think the true reason Nick and I have parties is so we have an excuse to get our house and yard in tip-top shape.


These pictures don't do our yard much justice, but it looked amazing, and I have to give Nick all the credit! He kicked butt getting the yard together.



And of course there is no party in Columbus without an OSU cornhole set. Is cornhole a mid-western thing? It may be, but look it up, it's fun.



If you've ever thrown a party before, you know that it's always better to have too much food and drinks, as apposed to not enough. Just like last year, we were way overstocked, but this will definitely not go to waste.....

MARGARITA!!

Our friend is a bartender and he created this by mixing a standard margarita mix (which already included tequila...) with more tequila and about a half liter of Sprite. It was a huge hit, FYI.

I stuck to my new favorite beer; Bud Light Golden Wheat. Of course, after Saturday night I think I'll be taking a break from this drink for a while. Ugh.



We had the food catered, and many of my friends and family also brought some sides. We had pulled pork, roasted chicken, coleslaw, watermelon salad, pasta salad, and a relish tray with hummus. I made baked beans and brownies (no, not bean brownies, although those taste really good too!).

Like the big loser I am, I went around and took pictures of people's plates that were loaded with half veggies/fruit like the new USDA guidelines suggest. Here are some examples in case you were wondering how it's done during a summertime cookout (I was very lenient, obviously);

Half plate with beans and raw veggies.

Half plate with beans, coleslaw, and zucchini (in the pasta salad).

Half plate with raw veggies, coleslaw, zucchini and beans.

And what about Nick's plate? He looks guilty....

Well, he may not have had half of his plate filled with veggies/fruit, but his sandwich was a classic summertime creation; whole wheat bun, pulled pork and coleslaw. Now that's how it's done!

Random picture of my cousin and me.

And evidence that I am truly a "green" girl, I made everyone put their name on their cups so they would only use one. This worked well.



The party went on pretty late as we sat by the fire in our new fire pit. This fire pit was perfect and we are hoping to use it more throughout the year. I roasted about four marshmallows....so tasty.

QUESTION: Did everyone have a nice Fourth??