White Girl Gone Green

Hitting the Sauce

2012-02-06T09:00:00.001-05:00

I love pasta sauce. Marinara. Tomato Sauce. Gravy. Whatever you want to call it, I want to share the love.

In my last post I talked about pizza night. Part of pizza night usually includes a jar of my favorite marinara sauce by Newman's Own. Recently, someone pointed out to me that jarred sauces from the grocery store have a lot more sugar than if you make your own. The problem is that companies use tomatoes that are not yet ripe and add sugar to simulate ripeness. The best solution to this sugar problem is to make your own!

Making your own sauce is a very good way to eat cleaner, fresher food. It almost eliminates the processed part of your meal. It's EASY to do! (Trust me, I'm not Italian, but feel adopted into their traditions because of all the Italians I'm surrounded by.)

I know you are picturing Nona Rinicacchiocola stirring a simmering pot for hours. But I say it doesn't have to be that way! Here's a quick tomato sauce recipe that will take you 15 minutes!!!

Ingredients:

From White Girl Gone Green

1. Saute 1/2 onion and 3 cloves garlic in a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (5 min)
2. Once onions are translucent, add 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste. Let them cook together. (2 min)
3. Add 15oz can tomato sauce*, 1Tbsp Dried Italian Seasoning, Crushed Red Pepper to taste (optional, but adds a nice little kick). Simmer. (7 min)

(*I usually prefer crushed tomatoes, but it's really your preference. Use whatever you have in the pantry.)

That's it! It's so delicious! I use this sauce for pizza and pasta. Will you try it? Let me know how you like it! The longer is simmers, the better it tastes.

Great Grains!!

2012-02-04T12:35:00.001-05:00

A new friend recently enlightened me about grain, specifically flour, and now I'm on my way to changing one more thing in my life which will help me eat cleaner!

Up until now, I thought that flour was a nutrition-less substance which was only good for making delicious baked goods and thickening sauces. For a few years now, I've been using 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour. I thought I was doing a good thing, but I've learned that I could be doing better!

Let me drop some knowledge:

Wheat grains are made up of three parts:

Bran: the outer layer where all the roughage that helps move unwanted poisons and toxins through your system is found. The bran also contains numerous vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
Germ: the "health center of the grain", overflowing with vitamins B and E, as well as unsaturated fat and protein
Endosperm: the starchy white center

So, in its purest form, whole grains contains lots of things that are good for you. However, when grain is milled into flour, if it's not refrigerated the oils from the bran and germ go rancid. Because of this, the flour we buy in the store is made without the bran and germ, just the endosperm...which has no really nutritional value. When you see "enriched" wheat on a package, usually that means some of the vitamins have been replaced (obviously this is not done naturally) but not the fiber or protein.

So, bread can be "good for you" she says??

I do say! If you mill your own wheat you can make flour that still contains all the nutrients it was meant to have! O glorious day! The nutritious possibilities are endless... cakes and cookies with vitamins and minerals....pancakes that don't taste like cardboard, and contain nutrients that don't make you feel guilty. (Dear reader, I haven't forgotten about the sugar content of these items, I just want to celebrate the small victories...)

Pizza Pie

Last night for dinner I made our usual pizza. My homemade pizza has been a tradition for us the last two years. It started because I am a pizza snob a.k.a. New Yorker and couldn't stand eating Dominos or Anthonys (military people, you know what I'm talking about). I tried a recipe for pizza dough and it was delicious! Last night, I made the same recipe, using fresh milled flour. Enter snazzy mixer....

From White Girl Gone Green

That beautiful machine was a Christmas present from my mom. It is the best gift I ever received! (Sorry, Chris, the diamond earrings were nice, but they can't knead dough for me.)

The pizza was amazing and so was the feeling that I was getting added vitamins, fiber, etc, and less (almost no) grease! Stay tuned for my next post in which I make pasta sauce!! mmmm....

Source:http://www.homesteadharvest.com/article8.html

Glorious Gazpacho

2012-01-27T21:11:00.004-05:00

A while back I made a gazpacho that turned out really good.

Some time back in July I vowed not to turn on the oven EVER. It was okay to cook on the stove top, but did not bake, broil, or baste a single thing which might add to the furnace that was our apartment. For a visual demonstration, please refer to Dog Days of Summer.

But I digress....

Back to gazpacho! It was one of those so-hot-your-bones-are-sweating days in Korea. I had a gazpacho recipe I found in a great article, aptly named "No Cook Summer Meals." The colors were so pretty, I had to photograph them. (Note: I wish I had one of those fancy cameras that takes professional photos that look like you know what you're doing, but really all you are doing is pointing and clicking....) Here are a few photos to make you crave this amazing cold soup, and make me wish it was summer again.

They are not exactly organic veggies, but beggars couldn't be choosy in the Commissary.

From White Girl Gone Green

All you do is chop, then puree, all of the veggies, then add cilantro. My kitchen was a mess, but I like the "cooked in" look.

From White Girl Gone Green

There you have it! Negra Modela is optional, but highly recommended.

From White Girl Gone Green

In conclusion:
Gazpacho is healthy, easy, and environmentally friendly (no stove, releasing energy, just a quick blend). If you like V8, you'll like Gazpacho.

P.S. I love to say Gazpacho. And if you make it, you will love to say it too. It sounds very impressive.

Happy Birthday to me!

2012-01-25T18:24:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone,

This past weekend was my birthday celebration. We were up in Baltimore for Loyola's Annual Bull and Oyster Roast. A lot has changed on campus since I was there last. I had a blast showing Chris around my old stomping ground! While exploring the cafeteria, I saw that Loyola is now, not only recycling, but composting as well! I can only attribute it to the next generation of world changers attending Loyola these days! How cool is it that they are helping people to see how easy it is to reduce waste!

From White Girl Gone Green

Reducing Food Waste

2012-01-20T21:13:00.000-05:00

While living in South Korea I learned a thing or two about food waste....namely, how much of it I waste!!

Recycling Laws in SoKo prohibit you from throwing food waste out with your other non-recyclable garbage. You must collect it and dump it in the compost bins next to the recycling bins outside of your apartment. At first I thought this was so gross! (Imagine: July, mid-morning, 75 degrees F, 98.9% humidity. Last night's kimchi leftovers and fishbones.) After I got the hang of it though, I realized that we throw away a lot more than we need too.

Without the local law here, I feel terrible about throwing away compost potential food. Coffee grinds that could fertilize plants. (Imagine me now, throwing rotted fruit into the trees behind our house while I pray a stray animal will find dinner...really, ask my husband.)

In honor of my garbage guilt (how's that for a turn of phrase) I have found creative ways to reduce my food waste. Here are a few:

1. "Kitchen Sink" Pasta. My version of what my mother in law calls "stuff." It's whatever veggies I have moved to the fridge because their life expectancy is dwindling. Add onions, garlic and pasta...and voila! Dinner is never the same twice!

2. Use coffee grounds in potted plants/garden. Our house produces enough coffee grounds to fertilize a small orchard. Since we do not have a garden (see also: future goal) we use only enough coffee grounds for Basil (pronounced "Ba-zil") our small basil (pronounced bay-zil) plant.

3. Start your own compost pile. It is really just that easy. Composting will reduce the waste that ends up in a land fill and enriches the soil you use in your garden. If you don't have a garden, you can get with a neighbor who does, and start a community compost! (I love alliteration!) Here's a great site with How To Information. And some time in the near future, I'll post on my adventures in composting...

Also, look how cute composting can be! Compost Collector

4. Doggy Bag It. I'm too cheap to EVER leave food behind at a restaurant, but please, take that food home, because it will just go in the trash! Or, try ordering a smaller portion, or appetizer. Note: I might not do this if the restaurant uses styrofoam. We're gonna need a full entry for styrofoam....

5. Stock your fridge and pantry with newest in the back, oldest in the front. If it's good enough for the grocery store, it's good enough for me. When I go food shopping with my mom, she always reaches for the product way in the back of the shelf. She taught me that the newer milk, eggs, etc are always in the back because people always grab what's in front. I know there's a fancy name for it, but I don't know it. Use this mentality when stocking your fridge and pantry. Put the older items in the front, so that they get used first.

These are really easy ways to get you on your way to reducing your waste! Which one are you going to try first? What were the ingredients in your "Kitchen Sink" pasta this week?

Why Organic?

2012-01-18T21:09:00.001-05:00

For years I lived in the dark about why organic was better.

I assumed that it cost more money because the vegetables were fresher, or the fruit was bigger.... I learned that it is the practices of organic farmers that make the difference. It goes beyond fertilizer on your produce (which, to the point, you wouldn't want to eat out of the bag) to the hormones and antibiotics that are used to keep the animals healthy.

I follow a great blog called "Mambo Sprouts" and they always have great articles about Green living. Here's one: Why Choose Organic? I'll probably post entries from them a lot, because they have so much great information!

What else do you want to know about buying organic?

Hello, Pavlova!

2012-01-15T19:45:00.000-05:00

Back in Korea, a dear friend had the girls over for a little celebration. My friend, a native New Zealander, introduced me to the most amazing desert! Meet, Pavlova!

It's a wonderful meringue dish. Egg whites make it light and airy. I wouldn't say it's very "healthy" but it is better than some of the desserts I have prepared. Your guests won't feel guilty about eating this dessert. I found a great photo and recipe that includes organic berries at: Simply Gorgeous Food.

Enjoy!

Do you have any healthy dessert recipes that you've tried? Please share them!

-White Girl Gone Green

New Updates, New Look

2012-01-15T19:44:00.001-05:00

Updates....

Hey everyone! Thank you for following our journey through South Korea. It was an amazing experience. Now, we are back in the good old U.S. of A! Chris and I have had a pretty busy month of settling into our new home. Chris started classes last week. Meanwhile, I dove into a new business venture!

I am now an independent consultant for Willow House. WH is a wonderful direct sales company. They sell home decor, organizing and entertaining pieces. You can check out what they offer, by visiting my website: http://mariefowler.willowhouse.com. You'll see product placements on my new blog, for sure! I LOVE everything WH sells! If you are interested in an at-home, virtual, or online party, let me know!

New look...

I've been thinking a while about what my new blog would be about. It will be a work in progress, but I want to share the small changes I'm making in our life to be more environmentally conscious. From using only non-toxic cleaners to buying organic food. I've been trying to live a simpler, cleaner, greener, life.

My inspiration was a book: The Gorgeously Green Diet. I picked it up at the PX a few months back in the clearance bin and the price was right ($7.99, thank you AAFES). I love to cook and I'm constantly looking for new inspiration for new recipes. I thought at first glance this book would give me wonderful ideas for veggie dishes. (*Note: I'm not being paid to advertise this book. It was truly an inspiration and a turning point for me.)

I started reading through pages on what ingredients are really in some of the foods we eat. The main point of the book is how EASY it is to live a greener life. What we buy is what influences the products are put on the shelves. If we change our shopping habits, even a little, it will make a huge difference in what stores will offer. I was also convinced of how easy it could be to be greener while actually saving money!

I could go on and on, but I think I'll save it for further posts! But there it is, my goal for my new blog:

simple things I'm doing to live a cleaner, greener life.

with the occasional craft project thrown in there.

I hope you will join me for this journey!

Dog Days of Summer

2011-07-23T02:23:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about the phrase "dog days of summer" recently. Mostly, because I have been watching our dog lay around the house all day. Only moving to change positions, or get a drink of water...

After doing some research, I have found:

The Romans referred to the dog days as diēs caniculārēs and associated the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the "Dog Star" because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). Sirius is also the brightest star in the night sky. The term "Dog Days" was used earlier by the Greeks.

The Old Farmer's Almanac lists the traditional timing of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, coinciding with the ancient heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius.
Source: wikipedia.org

Here in Korea, the days certainly have been hot. Now that the rains have stopped, the sun is burning bright. I had to capture what sparked my interest in the dog days...

From Cookie

Mavie Anne

>>New things for this blog coming soon to a computer near you! <<

New Artwork

2011-04-03T21:20:00.000-04:00

On our most recent trip to Seoul together, Chris purchased some beautiful metal artwork for me! I've been going into this shop every time I am in Insadong and I had to show Chris what I have been admiring. He loved it too and thought that I should have something! He is so good to me!

We bought two pieces. The first one was created to hang from the ceiling near a light source. Since we are renting and didn't want to make a hole in the ceiling, we improvised:

White Girl Gone Green

Hitting the Sauce

Great Grains!!

Glorious Gazpacho

Happy Birthday to me!

Reducing Food Waste

Why Organic?

Hello, Pavlova!

New Updates, New Look

Dog Days of Summer

New Artwork

Birthdays!

Yongpyeong Ski Trip

Flower Market

Happy New Year!

Our Celebration of Marriage

A Fowler Christmas

Bryan Family Farewell

Everland

Oktoberfest Korea Style

Around the House

Gid and Kay

Adventures in Places other than Korea

Ruthie and Charlie's Visit: Part 3

1 Year and counting...

apologies...

Ruthie and Charlie's Visit: Part 2

Ruthie and Charlie's Visit: Part 1

Productive

Bits and Pieces

Spring sighting

Easter Sunday

Frozen Seoul

A little treat

Puppy-sitting

Long Time, No Blog

Cute Puppy Photo of the Day

Comfort Food

Youth Retreat Weekend

The Newest Addition: Cookie

The Haircut

37 00 N, 127 30 E:

'Twas the days after Christmas and all through the apartment...

Christmas Party

Changdeokgung and Gyeongokgung Palace

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Turkey Day in Korea

Fall in Korea

Juicy Stuff

PX:8, Team Fowler:0

The New Apartment!!

Mmmm...

Our First Korean View

Happy Chuseok!