Conquering Cravings AKA no more Fight Club AKA Brad Pitt Won't Save You

Whose in control?  You or the food?  Do you feel like every meal is a date with Fight Club and your destructive cravings are the contending heavyweights? Do loaves of french bread challenge you to a duel?  Do cookies taunt you while donuts keep the stats?  Do mocha frapps leave you powerless and bowls of pasta make your knees buckle?

Are you losing the battle?  Are you tired of feeling like the forever failure?  Are you embarassed by your lack of willpower and stamina?  When will you finally wear the champion belt . . . err stilettos?

How about this coming September?  I challenge you to look your contender in the eyes and join me along with 7 other women for an adventure that will conquer the addictions and leave you the Heroine of your own life.   I can't promise a visit from Brad Pitt, but I can promise a chance at VICTORY over cravings and addictions.

It's time to put your crown on girlfriend,
Kristi


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 Love What You See in the Mirror It's time to feel in control!

This program is only available for 8 fabulous women who:

• want MORE out of life
• are dying to LOVE themselves and the food they eat
• want to feel FANTASTIC
• are sacrificing their DESIRES to others
• want to look AMAZING
• are stuck and wanting to break FREE
• want deep and lasting CHANGE

"I'm happy to say that during those six months with Kristi, I lost 30 pounds, stayed off blood pressure meds, and cut my diabetes meds in half! I'm also finding, thanks to her, that I do have more choices (in food AND in life!) than I'd imagined. I can't recommend Kristi and her services enough!"
~ Jennifer Schildknecht, Danielsville GA

 Now is the time to write your own recipe of your perfection and LOVE what you see in the mirror! 

Click HERE for all the info you need to know!



okay so I had to post a little eye candy ~ I don't hear you complaining!
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Kristi Hyllen, CNC CHHC AADP is a recovering sugar addict who loves to share her passion for eating good food without the pain of dieting.  As a health coach she has helped women get back into their skinny jeans, eat chocolate without guilt and love what they see in the mirror.  Learn more about scheduling a one-on-one private empowerment session HERE.  You can read more about Kristi and the work she does by visiting http://www.kitchenwitchcoaching.com/
 

Swooning Over Gerard Butler . . . umm, I mean Basil, yeah Basil

Basil ~ the one garden herb that leaves visions of steamy italian pasta and dark red wine dancing in my head.  The aromatic smell of basil is enough to make me swoon like Holly with Gerry's first kiss in that tear-jerker of a movie P.S. I Love You.  (Okay, she didn't really swoon, she was more dumbstruck and lost for words, but I certainly swooned!) 

The end of summer finds me in the kitchen making more pesto than one human can eat and then trying to come up with as many ways as possible to use that pesto!  Pesto deviled eggs, pesto tuna salad, pesto salami sandwiches, pesto scrambled eggs, pesto hummus, pesto mashed potates.  My kiddos can be sure that whatever they are eating, I'll find a way to add some pesto! 

Classic Basil Pesto Yield: 1 cup Ingredients: ½ cup pine nuts 4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese 1 garlic clove Salt and pepper 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil   Directions:      1. Preheat oven to 350*. Spread nuts on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden and fragrant, tossing once, 8 to 10 minutes. 2. Remove from baking sheet to prevent further browning. Let cool completely. 3. In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, cheese and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Process until finely chopped. 4. With machine running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth Options: Replace basil with parsley or cilantro, replace pine nuts with walnuts

Enjoy the basil, the pesto and the end of summer because fall is quickly approaching!

And speaking of fall, my Love What You See in the Mirror program is open for registration!  Just like Holly, you'll fall in love at the offerings in this transformational & empowering program!  
 
With Pesto in Your Heart,
Kristi

And P.S. I recommend eating your pesto while watching P.S. I Love You.  :-)




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 Love What You See in the Mirror Isn't it time to eat whatever the hell you want, instead of continuing the cycle of dieting failure?

This program is only available for 8 fabulous women who:

• want MORE out of life
• are dying to LOVE themselves and the food they eat
• want to feel FANTASTIC
• are sacrificing their DESIRES to others
• want to look AMAZING
• are stuck and wanting to break FREE
• want deep and lasting CHANGE

"I'm happy to say that during those six months with Kristi, I lost 30 pounds, stayed off blood pressure meds, and cut my diabetes meds in half! I'm also finding, thanks to her, that I do have more choices (in food AND in life!) than I'd imagined. I can't recommend Kristi and her services enough!"
~ Jennifer Schildknecht, Danielsville GA

 Now is the time to write your own recipe of your perfection and LOVE what you see in the mirror! 

Click HERE for all the info you need to know!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
Kristi Hyllen, CNC CHHC AADP is a recovering sugar addict who loves to share her passion for eating good food without the pain of dieting.  As a health coach she has helped women get back into their skinny jeans, eat chocolate without guilt and love what they see in the mirror.  Learn more about scheduling a one-on-one private empowerment session HERE.  You can read more about Kristi and the work she does by visiting http://www.kitchenwitchcoaching.com/
 

 

Pizza Pasta

Do you love pizza?  I used to love pizza.  As I've gotten further away from proccessed foods and continually add more and more whole foods into my diet, I've found that my cravings for junk food have slowly been diminishing.  I realized the other night when I came across a recipe for pizza pasta, that I couldn't remember the last time I ate pizza.  And then I was pleasantly surprised to notice that I didn't even have a craving for it. 

But pizza pasta was intriguing.  Of course the recipe called for all kinds of pre-made junk, so I thought to myself.  I could easily create my own version of pizza pasta.  And that is exactly what I did, and let me tell you it turned out to be really good!  So good in fact, I just had to share it with all of you.

Kristi's Pizza Pasta

• 1 package spaghetti noodles (I use brown rice since it is gluten-free)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 28oz diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 can large black olives, sliced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 8 cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small yellow or white onion, diced
• 24 slices organic pepperoni, quartered
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• small bunch of basil leaves, torn
• 2 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into small chunks
• Parmesan for grating

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain well and return to pan, adding a swish of olive oil if desired.
2. In a medium pan over medium heat, sautee onion and mushroom until onion is translucent.  Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic and cook tomatoes down until saucy about 10 minutes.
3. Add bell pepper and cook for about 3-5 minutes to keep peppers crunchy.  Don't overcook or peppers will be soft.
4. Add pepperoni and olives, cook for a few minutes to heat them up.  They don't need to be "cooked".
5. Add fresh basil and stir.  Once again cook for just a minute or two as basil doesn't need to be cooked, just warmed up.
6. Serve pizza topping over pasta, sprinkle with mozzarella chunks and grate with parmesan cheese.

Pizza Pasta
(C) Kristi Hyllen 2011

So what other toppings do you like on your pizza?

Salad Greens

During the cold months of winter the thought of salad makes my face cringe.  Its freezing cold and the last thing my body wants is anything that will only add to my coldness.  Instead I crave soups and stews, hot teas and lots of meat!  Foods that warm my Vatta body.

Its just the beginning of March, but here in the foothills of California, spring is slowly waking up and showing her face.  Daffodils are proudly displaying their yellow beauty while the wild chickweed is creeping throughout the garden.

Which means my body is warming up and beginning to crave those delicious spring greens that I love to take into my kitchen and turn into tasty salads.  Of course it isn't quite that warm yet, so I eat my spring salads next to the wood stove!

As I was working on my upcoming cooking class on salads, I was inspired to blog about the lovely offerings of spring.  Here are just a few of my favorite salad greens.

Arugula ~
Bitter and peppery, throw into any salad for some zing.  I especially love arugula mixed with cooked quinoa, dried fruit and nuts.

Bibb, Boston, Butterhead ~
Soft and tender, goes great in any salad and especially in sandwiches.  Butterhead is one of my favorites even though it is expensive.

Chickweed ~
A wild weed that grows crazy in my garden.  Only eat chickweed you know hasn't been sprayed or is not alongside roadways where it sucks up car fumes.  Add a handful to any salad, just be sure to get rid of the stems.

Curly Endive, Chicory, Frisee ~
Crisp and bitter, use a little to add variety to your salad.  I personally find the shape hard to get in my mouth, so I give it a good chop!

Dandelion ~
Use small tender leaves for salad, larger leaves can be cooked.  And yes you can eat them out of your backyard as long as you haven't sprayed chemicals!

Endive ~
Bitter and mild.  Use it like a scoop for tuna, chicken, and crab salads.

Escarole ~
Small leaves can be used in salad, otherwise I chop it up and throw it in soup.

Mesclun ~
A mixture of tender young greens usually arugula, frisee, radicchio, chard and herbs that can be used as a salad base.

Miner's Lettuce ~
Another wild weed that grows crazy in the spring.  Again make sure your harvesting weeds you know haven't been sprayed.

Radicchio ~
Bitter and peppery, a little goes a long way and makes a salad visually appealing.

Romaine ~
Crunchy and a good base for most salads, used in the classic Caesar salad.


And that is just a short list of greens one can use to make salad.  I encourage you to go to your favorite produce section and see what else they have in stock.  Or if you are lucky enough to have a farmers market happening in your neck of the woods, go talk to your farmer about any salad greens they may be growing! 

So I'm off to make some dinner and on the side I think I'll toss together a classic Caesar!


What are your favorite salad greens?

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Want to learn to make some yummy salads with these delectable greens?

Salads & Dressings Cooking Class:
Wednesday March 16th
6:00 to 8:00
Private kitchen in Ione, CA  (address supplied when payment is made)

The Salads:

• Quinoa Apple Cranberry
• Caesar
• Strawberry Spinach
• Chicken
• Wild Weeds

The Dressings:

• Rosemary Balsamic Garlic
• Caesar
• Strawberry Poppy Seed Yogurt
• Roasted Red Pepper
• Green Goddess

Class is $25
RSVP by Monday March 14th to Kristi at 209-712-2424 or email me at kristi@kitchenwitchcoaching.com

Chickweed Pesto

I just returned from a fantastic four day womens retreat along the gorgeous coast of Mendocino.  I have yet to unpack my suitcase, though my pictures have been downloaded to facebook and I've spent most of the morning in the kitchen.  Priorities! 

And naturally being away from home for some time means a bare bones supply of food in the fridge.  But not to worry, I have learned that I do my best creative cooking when I have little to choose from.  It is when the magick is at its best.

So as I contemplated what to create for dinner, I could feel those wonderful stirrings of ideas coming forth.  Marinated grilled steaks topped with chickweed pesto!  With scissors in hand, I headed out to the front garden to gather that most abundant chickweed to make the pesto.

Ingredients for chickweed pesto

Chickweed Pesto

• 2 to 3 cups chickweed
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

1. Wash chickweed in a bowl of cold water, letting any sand or dirt settle to the botto.  Lift greens out of water into a colander.  Pat dry with a towel or dry in a salad spinner.
2. Place peeled garlic in the bowl of a food processor.  Process to chop.  Add the chickweed and process to chop.
3. Add the nuts, grated cheese, salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Process until gound into a fairly smooth paste.  If the mixture is too dry, add a little more olive oil.

Chickweed Pesto

But of course I still needed to figure out what to eat for lunch.  Rummaging around in the fridge and the pantry, I pulled out a variety of items and mixed them up into a salad.  Romaine lettuce, leftover quinoa, avocado, walnuts, dried cranberries, pastrami, feta cheese and to my delight I topped it off with some chickweed pesto!  I had never thought of using pesto as a salad dressing before!

"Leftovers in the Fridge" salad with some chickweed pesto as dressing

So I'm anticipating a delicious dinner tonight.  I can just imagine the chickweed pesto melting over my tender steaks.  mmmmmmm

How else can you use chickweed pesto?  On top of grilled chicken and seafood, tossed with rice or pasta, dolloped in a soup, drizzled over baked root vegetables, as a dip for crudites and crackers.  The possiblities are endless!


How will you use chickweed pesto?

Finding Sugar

Whenever I buy something at the store, I always look at the price per unit cost.  It saves money, makes my dollar go further, and I've found that store brands are really no different than name brands.  So last week on my usual shopping trip, I had to buy some clams for a clam chowder I was planning on cooking.

As usual, I compared the unit cost on all three brands of clams and chose the cheaper of the three.  I mean how different could they be, they're clams!  But to my utter horror and amazement they were not!

Sunday night I set about to make my clam chowder.  Half an onion, a lot of garlic, some bacon and six potatoes later I was ready to add the clams.  For the fun of it, I decided to read the ingredients expecting to see: clams.  But what I saw was that insidious word: SUGAR!  WHAT?!  Sugar!  Why on Goddesses' Green Earth do a can of clams need sugar!

What in the world does the sugar do for the clams?!  Does it somehow make us addicted to THAT brand of clams?  What were the CEO's and CFO's of this company thinking when they got the not so bright idea to add sugar!  Do I seriously need my clams to be sweetened? 

So after ranting and raving for a bit, I went ahead and made my clam chowder, apologized to my intestines and vowed to always read labels!

In my curiosity, I decided to scavenge through my cupboards and fridge to see where else sugar was lurking.  Some items were no surprise, but some made me go GRRRRRRR!

Here is my list:

Trader Joe's Champagne Vinaigrette
Trader Joe's Dijon Mustard
Trader Joe's Organic Ketchup
Trader Joe's Ranch Dressing
Trader Joe's Tortilla Chips
Trader Joe's Blackberry Preserves
Trader Joe's Thai Red Curry Sauce
Trader Joe's Honey Wheat Hamburger Buns
Trader Joe's Organic Bacon
Nature's Path Organic Flax Plus Cereal
Nature's Path Organic Instant Oatmeal
Kettle BBQ Chips
Dynasty Hoisin Sauce
Stonewall Kitchen BBQ Sauce
Pamela's Wheat and Gluten Free Pancake and Baking Mix
Pamela's Wheat and Gluten Free Bread and Flour Mix

So what's a girl to do when even items that are supposed to be "health" foods contain sugar?  Time for another overhaul!  I guess I'll be looking for new brands or making my own ketchup and baking mixes!


I challenge you.  What items do you have in your pantry and fridge that contain sugar?

Sugar Cane Sticks

Thursday is my grocery shopping day.  Since Mike has the day off, together we meander down to Stockton and make our way to Trader Joe's, Artesian Natural Foods and Raley's, stocking up the ice chests, and loading up the trunk to feed our hungry teenage daughters.

The produce section at the Stockton Raley's is always a delight for me and I take great pride in knowing the names of all the various fruits and vegetables.  Mike enjoys asking me, "What's this?"  And I enjoy answering!


What's this?  Turnips
What's this?  Bitter melon. 
What's this?  Lemongrass. 
What's this?  Rutabaga. 
What's this?  Sugar cane.  Sugar Cane??!!

Sugar Cane Sticks from Raley's

Yep there it was, little packages of sugar cane tucked away on a shelf not far from the peppers.  I HAD to buy them, I mean seriously!  What a novelty!  But why buy sugar when I've made it publicly known that I am now living in a sugar-free zone?

Well, it goes back to a book I read several years ago.  Sweetness and Power:  The Place of Sugar in Modern History by Sidney W. Mintz.  Such a fascinating book which discusses the origins of sugar and how it changed the history of captialism, altered work patterns, eating habits and influenced our modern diet.

The one thing I clearly remember is the discussion of how slaves on the sugar plantations would chew sticks of unprocessed sugar cane yet never developed the diseases or dental caries that Americans and Europeans so easily developed and still do to this day. 

Why?  Well according to Mintz, sticks of unprocessed sugar cane would be likened to a whole food.  Just like processing an apple into apple juice and only drinking the juice but never eating the apple can lead to weight gain and contribute to poor health, so to processing a sugar cane and only eating the sugar, but not the cane, also leads to poor health.

Unprocessed Sugar Cane Sticks

So in my curiosity, I just had to buy the sticks!  And I know your curious, what do they taste like?  Well they are a little juicy, a little sweet and have a slight maple flavor.  I only chewed a quarter of a stick and have been watching for any reaction.  So far so good.

Now the last thing I want to do is get back into a sweet binge, but they were too synchronistic to pass up and the scientist in me loves a good experiment!

Have you tried sugar cane sticks?  What do you think of putting sugar cane sticks into the category of a whole food?  Do you think unprocessed cane could actually not be detrimental to one's health?