As for upcoming posts, stay tuned, in the next couple of days I’m going to blog all about my current running routine. I’ve stepped it up a notch and it seems to be paying off – YAHOO!

Don’t forget to bookmark my new location The Prairie Chick Kitchen.

Not only will this tip be better for you and your family but it will also save you money. This mixture has lasted me for months and does a great job cleaning my clothes.

Washing Soda & Borax

Here is your very easy laundry detergent recipe:

Mix together 1 part washing soda and 1 part borax. The photo has the brand I use.

I used an old plastic liquid laundry detergent container. I just cut the top off and mixed equal parts of the washing soda and borax together. I usually use less than half a cup per load depending on the amount of clothes your washing at one time. If your wishing to whiten your whites put in some lemon juice. You could also soak your clothes in a mixture of lemon juice and water. Leave them overnight then wash them the next morning.

I also use vinegar in place of fabric softener. It does a great job and your clothes will come out nice in fresh.

This is a great first step to bring a little “green” into your home.

I had been dreading writing this exam, well actually I dread writing any exam, but this one in particular. There was a lot of detailed information on carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water, electrolytes and ergonomic aids. There was also a lot of mathematical calculations I needed to know which for me isn’t good because I’ve never had a good relationship with math. Now, don’t get me wrong I really enjoyed the topic of sports nutrition. I’m definitely way more knowledgeable about what and when to eat in relation to exercise.

So, what’s next in my nutrition journey? Vegetarian nutrition is the next section I need to complete and then I’ll have my diploma in Advance Nutrition. I’m really excited about this next section and not only because I’m vegan but because I’ll learn how to speak to others about choosing the right foods and how those foods can impact their health.

I’m so excited!!!

For breakfast my son Sam has been on a toast and jam kick. So instead of serving a boring plate of toast I dressed it up with oranges – it almost looks like a sun. I’ve found too that dressing up his plate like this makes him more likely to eat it.

Toast & Oranges

I also got creative with cupcakes I made. I was going to ice them as usual but then thought why not put their names on them. It was fun for me to do and they got a kick out of it. I’m not too sure if they were more excited about their name on the cupcakes or the fact that I made them in the first place.

Cup Cake

Next time you’re wanting to do something a little extra for someone, it doesn’t take too much effort and it puts a smile on that special someones face. It’s truly worth the effort.

Cleaning Products

Tip #1 – Dusting your wood furniture
Instead of using traditional furniture polish, which can have ammonia and formaldehyde in it, dust your wood furniture with olive oil and white vinegar. I usually mix approximately 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar in a container and use a soft dry cloth. It does a great job removing the dust and leaves a shine on your furniture.

Tip #2 Unclogging your drain
Did you know that drain cleaners can be one of the most hazardous products in your home? The smell of it alone makes me sick and to have to pour into my sink and let it sit there while it works and I’m breathing it in cannot be good for anyone. Instead try making your own using baking soda, vinegar and boiling water. I mix approximately half cup of baking soda with one cup of vinegar and then lots of boiling water. Pour it down your drain. It will start to fizz. See, it’s fun and cleans your drain at the same time without you having to breathe in deadly toxins. After your done pouring the solution down your drain run your hot tap water until the water drains the way it should.

As I learn more about other clearning ideas I’ll share them and if you would like to share your green cleaning tips please pass them on I would love to hear them.

So what are vitamins anyway? The ones we should be getting the most of are actually found in food, not just in tablet form like I always thought – ha ha. They are considered a class of complex organic compounds and there are a total of 13 of them. If we don’t get enough in our diet or by supplementation we could experience some serious deficiencies and if we take in too much it can be toxic. I know this is deep but stick with me.

Now, I’m sure many of you have heard that there are fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins. For today’s post I’m going to talk about fat-soluble. I’ll save water-soluble for next time.

There are 4 fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Let’s break this down a bit:

Vitamin A
We need this vitamin to maintain the cells in and covering the outside of the body, bone development and our immune system. It’s also important for night and peripheral vision. You can find it in liver, butter, cheese, egg yolks, fish liver oils and fortified milk. Thankfully for those people who don’t eat animal products there is an active form of vitamin A called retinol and our bodies are able to form it into beta-carotene. This can be found in dark-green leafy veggies, yellow-orange veggies, oranges, limes, pineapples, prunes and cantaloupe. The recommended intake for adults is approximately 700 micrograms.

Vitamin D
I have discussed this vitamin before in a previous post so I won’t say too much about it. Just keep in mind that it’s very important for you to get outside into the sun for 15 minutes a day without sunscreen to get the required level. Once your time is up make sure to get that sunscreen on. To get the best results expose your face, neck and chest. Now, if you live in an area were the sun isn’t shining everyday you can get vitamin D from a few food sources. For those who eat animal products it’s found in eggs, tuna and salmon. It’s also found in fortified milk, margarine and breakfast cereals. The recommended intake for adults is approximately 5 micrograms.

Vitamin E
It’s main role is to be an antioxidant in our cell membranes. This is very exciting isn’t it? Now, you can find it in polyunsaturated veggie oils, margarine, green leafy veggies, fortified cereals, whole-grain products, wheat germ and eggs. The recommended intake for adults is approximately 15 micrograms.

Vitamin K
This guy is very important in being able to help clot our blood sometimes being called the blood coagulation vitamin. It’s found in both animals and plants such as pork, liver, eggs, spinach and cauliflower. The recommended intake for adults is approximately 90/mg.

So, there it is, a very quick lesson about fat-soluble vitamins. Again, there is a lot more to learn about them but hopefully it gives you a bit better idea of what they do for you and your body and where to find them in food. And if you feel you’re not getting enough in your diet make sure you’re taking a multi-vitamin. For information about how much you should be getting in your diet visit Health Canada and check out the food guide.

First off for Christmas dinner I made a Tofurky Roast. Now, why would I not just make my own you ask? Well, I do have a recipe but I’ve heard such great things about the roast I thought I would buy it first, taste it, see how it cooks and slices and then when I do make it I know what the end result should be. As you can see from the picture, I surrounded it with lots of onions, potatoes and carrots. It was the first time I made it and I think it turned out really well. Even my meat eating husband, Stacey enjoyed it. I would definitely serve it again.

Tofurky Roast

For dessert my son requested a chocolate cake. Now, that’s not typically what I would serve for a holiday dessert but since it was just the three of us I made the cake and I made it gluten free. Check out my bad decorating. At the last minute I thought I would add a Christmas tree and didn’t take the time to measure out the placement of it. Oh, the recipe for the cake is from the Vive Le Vegan blog.

Gluten free chocolate cake

Lately I’ve been craving pumpkin soup and since I had a can of coconut milk that’s been sitting in my pantry for far too long I sent Stacey out to get some cans of pumpkin. Now, it did turn out okay but I need to play around with the spices a bit. If you have any suggestions please let me know what you add to your pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin Soup

This past week I made the Italian sausages from Everyday Dish. I did change it up a bit just by adding different spices and I shaped them into cutlets instead of sausages. I was able to create three different meals with one batch. I was shocked, not only is this extremely cost effective but it allowed to for me to be creative with the recipe.

Pasta with chopped Italian Cutlets

Potatoe Casserole

I also created a rice dish but forgot to snap a picture. All these recipes were quick and easy to make and of course healthful.

Last, Stacey was wanting a lemon dessert – he loves lemons. So I followed a recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking and created lemon slices. I was very happy with how they turned out and Stacey really enjoyed them.

Lemon Square

Have a great weekend!

What made this class a little different was after laying down for about 5 minutes the instructor asked each participant to proclaim their intention out loud – YIKES! Now, this is not uncommon to set an intention for yourself but it’s something you decide privately and not shared. I usually say the same thing to myself – flexibility. I’m not flexible at all. But this day was different. I’m shy around folks I don’t know and when you have to share something personal especially when the whole class is staring – very scary. But you know it wasn’t that bad. Everyone spoke freely about not only about their yoga intentions but their goals for the year. This got me thinking. Typically, this time of year everyone is setting new years resolution that soon die out within the first few weeks of January. But maybe by setting small achievable intentions for yourself they may be more achievable. My intentions this year are:

1. Practice yoga a few times a week. I’m not going to say an exact number because that just sets me up for failure. I’ll do what I can.
2. Feed my family as healthfully as I can while still enjoying the occasional treat.
3. Try to stay creative with the meals I cook by selecting new recipes from my cookbooks.
4. Run on the treadmill or outside a few times a week.
5. Focus on my nutrition studies.
6. Chat often with my friends and family.
7. Turn the tv off.

Now, looking at my list I don’t feel it long and daunting. I’m not trying to completely change myself or anyone else. I can also take my quiet time during my yoga practice to focus on my intentions.

I think I’ve probably said this before but nutrition is more than just the food you put into your body it’s also about your whole self – body and mind. Take the time, maybe find a quiet area in your house even if just for a few minutes and think about your intentions for today, the week, month or even the year.

Now, go on. Get off the computer, turn off the tv spend some time on you.

I also got a cookbook called Great Chefs Cook Vegan by Linda Long. It’s packed full of great recipes created by 25 chefs. Each chef provides a 3 or 4 course vegan meal. The photography in the book is mouthwatering and may inspire you to create your own delectable meal.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Truffles

Flax Maple Cookies

So a few days ago I was reading the Post Punk Kitchen Blog and it had a great recipe for Ginger Bread cookies. Since I had a bit of time I immediately started to get all the ingredients together. I rolled out the dough and then looked through my cookie cutters to find my ginger bread man. Well, guess what? I don’t have one. I thought for sure I did. Now I had to improvise. What’s a girl to do? Luckily I found a Christmas tree, a star and a circle. Once I cut them out I sprinkled white and coloured sugar on them. In the end I think they turned out great.

Ginger Bread Cookies