Tuesday, February 18, 2014

In Awe

I think I can call this a rant, but I'm not sure it qualifies.

Have you ever thought about the amazing creation that is the human body? My husband is learning a little about the capacity of the body in school and confessed to me he's finally understanding a little why I'm so fascinated with the body's abilities and forgiveness, capability to heal and carry on despite injury. (Which is huge to me... all the time we've been together he's never understood why I'm so interested in anatomy and physiology, much like I don't understand why he's interested in geology. Finally he gets it! But I'm sorry to say I still don't understand the fascination with rocks. Sorry husband.)

But, really, the human body is an amazingly and intelligently created machine, a network of systems that carries out an unfathomable number of processes all at once, (mostly) without a hitch. We exist in a world where, despite our understanding of so many things around us (or our perception of understanding), we still don't have a complete grasp on the human body. We recommend foods, exercise, and wellness practices and yet over the last 100 years we've seen an immense increase in disease and morbidity. Despite these challenges, the human race still seems to thrive. We exist and grow in a world of processed and artificial food products, of chemicals, additives, and unknowns. And yet, the human body still reproduces, grows, and appears to thrive. God has created this amazing thing we call the human body that can overcome the environmental, emotional, physical and social obstacles created by the modern world to grow, create, demolish, and live. His creation can live through the incredibly artificial and damaging world coming up around us. The more I learn a out the human body, the more I'm in awe of what God has created and given to us. The ultimate gift, in my opinion.

What if we treat and fuel our bodies the way God intended? What if we ate real food, that comes from the ground and living things; food without labels (literally), without a laboratory to produce them, without additives and artificial chemicals? What if we could not only thrive but flourish and set our future generations up for the same? What if we could protect ourselves and out babies from chronic modern diseases like diabetes, cancer, obesity and heart disease? Would you be in?

Eat real food. We've all heard it before. Unfortunately it's harder than we'd like to admit. It appears that everything at store has a label, with crazy ingredients we have to sound out to pronounce. (Kinda makes you feel stupid, right?) Let me tell you folks, that's not real food. The "food pyramid" will try to tell you otherwise.We are inundated with recommendations, especially from the USDA and other government organizations. They tell us grains are good for us, to eat low fat, don't eat real butter, be afraid of raw dairy, everything must be pasteurized and sterilized. Grains aren't nutrient dense, nor are they good for us particularly in the modern forms we're fed today. They're genetically modified, bleached, stripped of nutrients then added back in artificially in a form the body is unable to process. Fat is essential to the production of hormones and other chemicals in the body, it's essential for neurological health by insulating our neurons, and supports fertility in both men and women. Raw dairy is incredibly nutrient dense, full of good bacteria and flora to populate our gut and assist in proper digestion. Pasteurization and sterilization rob our food of beneficial bacteria, depletes nutrients, and damages any fats present essentially making any food we eat useless. Modern food production throws the balance of omega 3 fats off in the body, depletes the soil of nutrients (which in turn takes them away from our food), poisons our meat supply with antibiotics and hormones (which has unknown long term repercussions on the human body, as well as animal physiology). We've gone too long allowing the government to adulterate and change our food with negative and sometimes unknown repercussions. Cast your vote and play your part by eating real food. Grow your own veggies (without pesticides of course). Buy your food from local and sustainable sources when you can. Understand that where you spend your money makes a difference by supporting what you believe in and support with your dollar.

I understand that can be hard when you're on a budget. Believe me, I know. Do the best you can.

Let's take a moment to reflect on ourselves. Are we honoring God with the food we eat and the way we move out bodies? I've come to learn that I can further honor God with the way I treat my body. He has created this amazing thing, this outstanding machine that can overcome so much. Let's set ourselves up for success.

The human body is an amazing thing. Don't you think?

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Zucchini Pizza Deliciousness

I love pizza. Ever since I've found a good gluten free pizza, I can finally enjoy delicious pizza! Yay! But, sometimes I want pizza without the carb binge. (And the gluten free pizza cost. Ouch.) So, I put this together.

(Disclaimer: I am not the genius who came up with this delectable goodness. This is simply my version of an awesome choice for dinner. Or lunch. Or hey, even breakfast.)

Zucchini Pizza! All (Okay, ALMOST) the goodness of real pizza without the crust-laden guilt. This really has a great flavor, and you have the option of cooking the zucchini longer to make them softer, or less to keep them firm and kind of crunchy. This recipe is non-gluten-free husband tested and approved!!!

Here's what you'll need:

1 lb of bulk italian sausage
1 small onion, diced
1/2 lb of shredded mozzarella
1 can of stewed or diced tomatoes with basil and garlic
1 can tomato sauce
Dried oregano
Fresh garlic or garlic powder
black pepper, to taste
3 medium zucchinis (size is ultimately up to you - I just bought what was at the store. Also, I think if you use 4 you won't have leftovers of the sausage mixture)

1. Brown the sausage in a large skillet. (Side note: I LOVE my knock-off Le Creuset pan I found at Marshalls. Look around - you can get all the ceramic cast iron love without the price!)

2. Add the onion when your sausage is about halfway through cooking. (Add them sooner if you like them softer and later if you like them more firm/crunchy.)

3. While your sausage is cooking, cut your zucchini. First in half, then half again lengthwise. Scoop out the fleshy, seedy inside with a spoon to make room for your filling!



4. Lay your zucchini on a lined pan, scooped side up. You can line your pan with aluminum foil or a silicon baking mat. (Another kitchen tool that is totally worth it, in my opinion!)

5. Once the sausage is completely browned and the onions start to soften, add both cans of tomato product. 
6. Stir well, then add about 2-3 tablespoons of dried oregano (less if it's fresh), and 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder or fresh garlic.
7. Allow the sausage/tomato mixture to simmer and reduce until it's thick on medium low heat, stirring frequently so the bottom doesn't burn. This will take about 20-30 minutes. You can wait to cut and scoop out your zucchini until this step. About 15 minutes into this step, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Once your sausage/tomato mixture is completely reduced, turn off the heat and cover. Place the zucchini in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes to precook. (You can do this while this sausage mixture is cooking, but I have a hard time with the timing so I do these 2 steps separately. Remember, cooking is an organic, fun and messy thing.... don't over think it. You can mess up a little, and it will turn out fine. I promise.)
9. After the zucchini has cooked for 10 minutes, take it out of the oven and get ready to create your masterpiece! Using a teaspoon, scoop the sausage mixture into the zucchini "boats." You can be as generous or as stingy as you'd like with the filling. I usually end up with leftovers, so don't worry if you have some left!

10. Once all your zucchini are filled with the sausage mixture, sprinkle the cheese over the top. We like cheese around our house, but you can place as much or as little as you'd  like on top.

11. Place the completed zucchini boats in the oven for 15-30 minutes, depending on how soft you'd like your zucchini and how brown you want your cheese.
12. Enjoy!! We ate ours with roasted cauliflower (chopped cauliflower with olive or coconut oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder cooked at 375 for about 40 minutes. I put the cauliflower in when I put the zucchini in the oven to precook, and leave it in while I prepare the pizzas. You can cook broccoli in the same way. Our favorite in the Shmat household!) Sorry for the lack of pictures of the finished product... we were far too hungry! Picture mini pizzas with a green bottom.... Yum!