Why does the pig eat tofu? why not corn? or rice?

I thought it would be appropriate for me to explain the meaning behind my blog title. Afterall, it does have a nice little story to it. In the Summer of 2009 I had found out I was accepted into the Public Health program at NYU. To help save some money, and continue paying my nyc rent (which is a whole other blog) I took a full time nanny job on the upper west side. Ah, the nanny job. What young girl in manhattan, in school, doesnt take this job at least once? Well, maybe the ones who grew up here. But the rest of us rent paying students dive into these jobs and practically race each other to the craigslists ads each morning. They really can be perfect, if you are working for the right family (which I was). Sure, you deal with screaming children, histerical fits, and strollers that weigh twice your own body weight. On the contrary, I spent my summer with three children who were just so darn cute, and I was able to take them to central park, the childrens museum of manhattan, the zoo, you name it! We rode bikes, did the swings, ate strawberries on a picnic blanket. Even better, was that the mother is a vegan. A vegan mom raising her three children vegetarian. Perhaps this is why I initially got the job. It was convenient when the children would ask me if I ate meat and I was able to honestly reply "no". The oldest one who was 5, was already explaining to children at school why it is nicer to eat veggies only, and how we (the vegetarians) save animals. While I did laugh pretty hard at the thought of a 5 year old advocate, we explained to him the importance of not telling others what to do, and taking caution in how you approach certain subjects. Could you imagine the phone calls from other meat eating parents???

It was the little one though, who is responsible for this title. When I took her bare feet one day and sung the song my mom always sang to me, "this little piggie went to market, this little piggie stayed home. this little piggie had...." (my mom always said Roast Beef, as im sure 89% of Americans still sing, but I had different plans for my little veggie head) ...tofu! and this little piggie had none. And this little piggie cried weee wee wee all the way home!" At that moment her mom popped in from around the kitchen and said "thats so funny! thats what I sing to them too!" Well it was official. The piggies in that upper west side apartment were eating tofu. And edamame, carrots, broccoli, corn, blueberries, & everything else that could feed your soul and nourish a growing child. Little Lucie, thank you for your teeny toes & inspiring me to eat so many different vegetables that summer besides the well known celery stick and ear of corn. All three of those children taught me a great amount about the kind of mother I would like to be one day.

Cookies Anyone?

I was given this recipe by the same woman I used to work for who was Vegan. While I am not a vegan, I love baking this way. Why? Well a cookie will always be a cookie, sugar and all. And lets refresh one of my rules. In my house we eat real sugar, just less of it, rather then eating up a storm and excusing it because we used splenda. Artificial sugars are just that, artificial. Do you want something artificial in your body? But since the dessert will always be the dessert, we might as well cut the butter or milk out. This means less fat, and less calories. A small step towards healthy is better then no step towards healthy. Plus, theyre FANTASTIC! My dear friend Michelle is getting married in May, & I left her this recipe at her bridal shower, since her mom had put out a recipe box for everyone to help Michelle get her familiy recipe book started. Michelle is not a vegan, in fact, shes not even the "ill have olive oil instead of butter" girl. The look on her face when she saw "flaxseed" in my recipe to her, was priceless. But I promised her, she would eventually be the coolest mom on the block with this recipe. So get your soy butter out and get ready to bake!
Vegan Oatmeal Raisen Chocolate Chip Cookies With Flaxseed

Preheat oven to 350
In a mixer, combine:
1 Cup Earth Balance Soy Butter
1 1/2 Cup unrefined sugar (turbinado works)
3 t vanilla

In the blender, puree:
2T ground flaxseed (Bobs Red Mill is great)
7T hot water

Add the flaxseed mixture to the butter mixture.
In a seperate bowl, mix together with a whisk:
1 1/2 C spelt or oat bran flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t sea salt
1 t cinnamon

add the flour mixture to the butter and mix well.

Mix in 3 C of oats
By hand, mix in raisens and VEGAN chocolate chips (found at wholefoods, and fairway market)
Bake on Parchment lined baking sheet 9-10 minutes.

Enjoy your natural, vegan, (and we can say nutritional since it has oats and flaxseed in it) dessert :)

Saturday Night Blog & Indian Food for Dinner

It is typical of me to open a blog account on a Saturday night. I believe I started my MySpace page years ago on a Friday night that began just like this. A night I have decided to stay in, but, id never dream of staying in and actually doing nothing (manhattanite for 7 yrs now, this is what awaits you) :) So this is my latest project, and I believe it is completely appropriate for someone who is always trying to tell people what to eat and how to workout. Well, maybe not everyone, but certainly my father at least. You see my parents (gotta love em) were born in the decade of Roast Beef and Potato dinners, and they raised me in the decade that told us Margarine was better for us then butter. That is of course, until those "smarty pants" discovered margarine actually gave us a new kind of fat. One that wasnt in butter, but actually WORSE for you then the fat we feared in butter. TRANS fat. (Humans: creators of the wheel, fire, & trans fat). And so began the epidemic of central abdominal obesity on the consumers who "couldnt believe it wasnt butter". But anyway, back to my childhood; Without me knowing it, I was practically injecting High Fructose Corn Syrup (among other perservatives and artifical sweetners) into my body every day through my diet as a child from 1985-2003. It certainly explains all the stomach aches, & food allergies I developed by the time I was 7. Nutrition is a young science, and sometimes we are told to excuse the mistakes that come around every few years. Eat Eggs! Dont eat eggs, they raise your cholesterol! Eat Red Meat! Dont eat red meat! NEVER eat carbs! (ahhh! these ones especially drive me nuts and I will explain the importance of carbs in another blog). It just really isn't fair to the average consumer who now fears food shopping thanks to the decades of confusion. Main point to take away from this paragraph: trans fats are horrible. Margarine is not better for you then butter.

Now, I am stomach ache free, a vegetarian for (almost) 3 years, & a graduate student at NYU for International Public Health and Nutrition. In a matter of time I will hopefully be an RD (registered dietician) and then I can write you all up personally catered meal programs ;) I worked for Equinox Fitness Clubs for 3 years, the end of that time spent as a personal trainer. Now, I am eager to spread my little secrets to success that lead me from Velveeta Wednesdays to Yoga Saturdays. And my mother, who used to cook the velveeta, now is cutting zuccchini and eggplant in our kitchen to throw in the pasta sauce <3

To conclude this first blog, I will say what you are expecting, & that is "I really hope you like my blog and learn some cool new exercises and recipes."....I will also say that if anyone is reading this, seeking motivation for any kind of lifestyle change: I am SO cheering for you. Whether its training for a half marathon, taking out one meat meal a week, or just joining a gym for the first time...we all start somewhere. I started as a lactose intolerant 7 year old who ate nothing but bagels, (I still worry about what awaits me when I hit my late 30s and my bones start to get put to the test, fyi, bagels do not count as adequate calcium). We all deserve to be healthy. We all deserve to be happy. And now, thanks to the internet, I can cheer you on to go for it. :)

peace, love, & carrot sticks
jess