Archive for the ‘Recipes for Smart People’ Category

Unless you have been hanging underneath a pineapple truck, you have heard you need more omega 3s, to keep your brain, heart, and joints ready for love. Your body is not making this fatty acid.

The standard advice is to eat three servings of fish a week, ground  flax seeds, swig some fish oil, or take those kiss killing fish pills that make me burp. YUK!  Nuts. 

Walnuts are good too, but how many of those are you eating? In my joyful world, the grinder is for coffee beans.  Sardines are lovely once a month.   Salmon is great about once a week. And mackerel is for the cat.  Dare I say that walnuts are for cookies?  Hear.  Here. I was not close to making the goal.

Then I discovered flax seed meal. No cooking, smelling like fish or burping involved.

The only rule of this salad is you must start with a beautifully crisp apple.  Pink Ladies are great.

Run to the nearest PCC, or Health food store, refrigerated section and buy a bag of flax meal.   This is going to cost you a little over five bucks. Then pick up some vanilla yogurt. My youngest daughter was no yogurt lover until Greek Yogurt came along.  Now on arriving home, one of her first questions is, "Do you have any Greek yogurt?".  Folks, it tastes like cream.

For your first omega three salad, go for the Greek yogurt, because later, when you are completely hooked on the ease of this refreshing little booster, you will be happy with plain yogurt with a little honey added.

Cinnamon.  If you are lucky enough to have a place to shop where they sell cinnamon in big glass jars, go find one you love the smell of..my favorite is from Vietnam.

Walnuts. You always have walnuts on hand right?  A few walnuts give a nice mouth surprise. Vanilla ,walnuts, cinnamon, oatmeal… is this starting to remind you of cookie dough??

I suggest a beautiful plate. This will stop a cookie craving. Scoop a dollop of yogurt on the plate, add the flax meal , about a T of uncooked oatmeal (not necessary, but it will help your belly feel full). Now stir this and spread it out on the platter.

Next cut your juicy crisp apple in half.  Cut half in half again and then slice,  letting the pieces fall on top of the yogurt mixture. Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon. Dust with a few walnuts, crushed or not, and take your plate to a beautiful eating spot place and use a fork that feels just right in your hand.

Take one piece of cinnamon covered apple at a time and scoop some of the yogurt mixture with it. I just want to say, that if any one is in the house when I make this salad, I end up sharing.

They sneak up behind me, distract me, and STEAL a bite! Once you have had the ultimate experience, you can take short cuts.

In a smaller portion, this is a perfect snack to tide you over before dinner. "Refreshing" is what the thieves always say!

Ingredients: crisp apple, flax seed meal, cinnamon, vanilla or plain yogurt, possibly raw oatmeal

Do you eat too much sugar? I have written and recorded a beautiful two part hypnosis for you. It gently takes you through the process of changing your mind about sugar. As you begin to regard it as drug, you become more more discriminating. Your mind responds to repetition.

Listening to this as you fall asleep or first thing in the morning, allows you to gently change your mind.

Letting go of Sugar

Lisa Crunick Helping You Change Your Mind! 

Call for a free twenty minute consultation. 206-941-1287

Even if you have never cooked, you can make this!

You will need a heavy pot you can put in the oven. If it doesn't have a lid, you can use tinfoil.

Check to see if you have most of these spices: cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander, cardamon,and ginger.

Sweet potatoes, or yams, at least three good sized ones Carrots, four to six Something green, peas, green beans; frozen works (1 cup? 2? you decide?) Olive oil, 1 onion, a red pepper, fresh garlic 1 28 oz can of tomatoes 1 can of garbanzo beans.

When this is baked you will want to eat it with Couscous. You cannot mess this up.

All will be well, even if you do not have everything  listed.   If you need a measurement for the spices, try 1 teaspoon each, but really, playing with the spices is part of the fun.

Quick,what else can you think of that has both garbanzo beans and yams? Yams, sweet potatoes, and carrots are good for your brain food. 

Do I need to say that changing your mind is easier when your brain is working?

Saute  chopped onion with a chopped red pepper, garlic and ginger root powder in olive oil. Add cinnamon (good for you), cumin, turmeric (good for you), cayenne, cardamon, coriander  (This is all good for you!) Now add 1 28 oz can of tomatoes (organic tastes way better here)

Add water. The tomato can half filled works! Now inhale as you stir your creation, and taste it. Do you want a little salt? more cinnamon? cumin?

When you are happy with it………sing ……. Add the garbanzo beans. 

Look at you! Now add the sweet potatoes (big pieces with skins on), carrots and green vegetable. (I have even thrown in a quarter bag of frozen mixed veggies here and lived to tell you, you cannot mess this up!)

Do not be stingy with the sweet potatoes. Cover and bake 2-3 hours at 350.

The last hour bake uncovered. Your home will smell like heaven.

If you can wait, let this cool and then reheat the next day. But you can eat it immediately. Eat it with couscous. OH MY!

You can change your mind about anything?  vegetables? cooking? relationships?

Lisa Crunick

Helping You Change Your Mind!

My craving for this usually begins at Thanksgiving. No matter how little, or much, I am responsible for dinner, I will make a fruit salad.

I want it right beside the mashed potatoes, for contrast.

Now in January, after record setting rains, high winds, cold weather and days of nothing that resembles a beach, I want fruit salad.

I encourage you to join me. You may, like me, get a reputation as being a healthy cook, when in reality, all you are doing, is exercising your ability to cut up fruit, while inhaling pleasantries.

The first ingredient: a pineapple. It needs to feel just slightly soft, yet be solid, and when you can easily pull out one of the leaves, it is ripe. If you pick up and smell it, you will really look like you know what you are doing.

Then choose some hard apples, granny smiths and braeburns are both good choices. You need two or three.

And then several large naval oranges. Produce people are amongst the friendliest in the world and they love it when you ask, "Which are _____are the best right now?"

You want the oranges to feel heavy for their size and the skins to not be too thick,'but don't be shy, ask a produce person.

You want this salad to last a few days, so choice your next fruits carefully. Pears are good, but they need to be a little firm, or they will become mushy.

Seedless grapes are good. Frozen rasperries work, but only if you are willing to have a red salad. Pomegranate seeds are fun. Make this salad to please yourself.

Choose a container that allows you to notice your fruit salad when you open the refrigerator.

Begin by cutting off the top of the pineapple and then cutting off the rough outsides. Then cut it in half from the top, and make the HUGE decision about how large or small you want your pineapple pieces to be. You will want to cut out some of the core, unless you enjoy a really LONG chew.

There is going to be pineapple juice all over the cutting board, and you will forget that it is winter. Then just keep cutting to your heart's content.

This is so relaxing. The orange smells like heaven and there is juice everywhere. You can stir your salad lightly as you make it; the color and textures are mesmerizing.

The best part is when you open the refrigerator the next day and there it is!!! Picking through the tastes, colors and textures is so satisfying. You can throw some plain yogurt on the top and a little bit of granola. Life is good.