Archive: Wellness
Kind-Hearted Cake
Last month in this space, I wrote about a dear friend who had undergone coronary bypass surgery and how it has forced the issue of quality of life and diet to the front burner. A little slice of heart-healthy heaven. (Kim O'Donnel) Flash forward six weeks, my buddy Pop Rocks is 20-some pounds lighter with a good report from the doc and has been given the green light to return to work. Yesterday, a group of us at washingtonpost.com celebrated his first day back on the job. The question, though, was: How to fete a hardcore cake lover with a health-appropriate crumb? Although equipped with an armory of heart-healthy cookie recipes, I realized that my heart-healthy cake repertoire is quite lean, and I had better get on the stick. After all, for the unofficial cake cutter at washingtonpost.com, there could be nothing other than cake. Without a tube pan in...
By Kim ODonnel | July 1, 2008; 10:09 AM ET | Comments (10)
Brilliant (and Vegan) Banana Bread
Have you heard the word about agave nectar? It's a plant-based sweetener from the same plant that's used to produce tequila. Cookbook writer and food blogger Heidi Swanson raves about it in her "Super Natural Cooking" and offers Webby recipe ideas here. I've been tempted to take the agave plunge, but with a surplus of local honey, I've waited until the pantry could afford the space. A nice wholesome twist on an old classic: banana bread sweetened with agave nectar and dates. (Kim O'Donnel) Equipped with a copy of "Baking With Agave Nectar," a fresh new title by natural foods chef Ania Catalano, I can no longer procrastinate; her collection of 100 recipes using agave as the primary sweetener is too tempting to ignore. What I like is that she's taken on baked good classics -- brownies, morning muffins, fruit pies, cake frosting -- and reduces their glycemic load with...
By Kim ODonnel | March 14, 2008; 07:41 AM ET | Comments (13)
What Do You Want to Eat This Year?
New Year's goals and determinations are on the tips of tongues this week, and the Mighty Appetite household is no exception. In addition to more exercise and a commitment to a daily regimen of vitamins and probiotics, I've got several objectives in mind to bring me closer to my broader goal of improved wellness. Here's a handful I hope to tackle: * Drink more anti-oxidant-rich tea, drink less alcohol which makes waistline expand magically before my very eyes. * Invest in a good juicer and re-introduce freshly squeezed juices into my morning routine, as I know how energized it makes me feel. * Put more green on my plate, more often. Bring on the whole grains too -- and diversify, play more with farro and millet, red rice and buckwheat. * Eat less gluten. Although not intolerant to wheat, rye and barley, I prefer how I feel when I keep...
By Kim ODonnel | January 2, 2008; 09:54 AM ET | Comments (19)
