Q & A with Catherine founder of Weelicious

Q1: Your website Weelicious, has become a go-to for easy, fast, nutritious meals and recipes for may families. What inspired you to get started on this cooking path?

A: I wanted to inspire my kids to be great eaters. I have always been fascinated how some children love good food--- why some are great eaters and some are picky. The idea of how much impact do you as a parent have on your children’s eating.

Q2: What do you love about cooking?

A: Beginning, middle and end. I love finding the produce at farmer’s markets that have fresh seasonal produce. I love cooking it and finally feeding my family.

Q3: What is the most popular dish people love from your website?

A: Oh so many-- Raspberry Cream Cheese Tart, Kale Chips, Cinnamon Roasted Chick Peas, Crock-pot Mexican Lasagna.

Q4: What is your all-time favorite recipe?

A: Parchment Fish. Cut pieces of parchment and your ready to go. You can throw in anything vegetables, fish, shrimp, tofu (for vegans), sauces and bake. It is great for a dinner party as everyone has a hand-in-creating what the are eating.

Q5: What is you son Kenya’s favorite hands-on dish to make?

A: Anything and everything. My children will eat anything when they help-out. Pick it at the farmer’s market or from a garden and chances sky rocket of them eating it. My son will actually say this pizza needs kale. Have them stuff the blender for smoothies. Really just get them involved.

Q6: Any tips on how we should stock the refrigerator and pantry?

A: Fruits in season, bananas, avocados, chicken, make pancakes or waffles and double, pasta rice beans, oatmeal, parmesan cheese.

Q7: Because we love green juice at the Littlest Tumor Foundation, what is a great smoothie you like for kids.

A: Get the kids to make. Super Juice-- kale, water, agave and lemon. It gives super-powers.

Q8: Daily recipe posts, weekly video clips, and much more on Weelicious. What is in the future for Weelicious?

A: Two books! One next summer --it will have 30% content of philosophy on how kids become great eaters. The second will be in 2013 a school lunch cookbook.

We at the Littlest Tumor Foundation cannot wait!

Healthy miracles with My Culinary Angel Linda Ott

Q) Tell me about yourself i.e. hobbies, activities, parenting…ect.

A) My hobbies include gardening, sewing, cooking (of course!), reading, and traveling both in and out of state, biking, swimming and playing with my two daughters. I have always loved cooking and that is my first love even before I decided to cook for a living. When I’m not cooking for a client, you can usually find me in my kitchen cooking up a special treat for a bunch of teenagers or my own family.

Q) Tell me about the type of cooking services that you provide to people.

A) The mainstay of my business is cooking for people on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. Most of my current clientele reached out for me because they were struggling with a new diet i.e. diabetes, low cholesterol, low fat, etc. I also do fun cooking parties where people cook with me and then enjoy the fruits of their labors and cooking classes for children. And from time to time, I do dinner parties for small gatherings in my clients’ homes. Some of the people I cook for are overwhelmed because of they have to give up eating something or have to start eating new foods due to what a dietician said. After just a few cooking sessions, they see there is a new world--a new set of foods for them to choose from. I know I have succeeded when I receive wonderful comments about the new foods I have introduced to my clients. Sometimes I help them go through their kitchen cupboards, and help them clear out the unhealthy food choices based upon what the dietician has told them. Other times, I meet the clients at the grocery store and help them learn to shop for healthier choices. It’s just overwhelming for them to adjust to their new lifestyles, but at the end of the day, I find it very rewarding to help them.

Q) What are you areas of expertise in the cooking field and why you chose them?

A) I enjoy cooking healthy meals & surprising my clients with delicious and nutritious meal options--eating healthy doesn't have to be boring! I do a lot of research on the recipes I make. The web has truly made it simple to do this with the recipes. I have subscribed to various newsletters that help me with menu planning for specific dietary needs.

Q) Where you were you taught about this type of cooking? What motivation you to start this?

A) I learned most of my cooking skills from my first mentor at a private resort in upstate New York. William Schwartau took a chance and hired me. He taught me to make some interesting dishes such as beef tongue and ox tail soup! I went to college and learned learned to perfect my cooking and menu planning skills. After college, I went to work for Marriott. I have worked in every hotel department and have always come back to my love of food either working in restaurants or catering. After 31 years of moving around for a company and working 60-80 hours a week 365 days a year, I decided to take my skills and become self-employed. I started My Culinary Angel, LLC about a year ago.

Q) What types of dishes do you cook for others and at home?

A) I am pretty fortunate that I can follow any recipe and have success. Usually with a new recipe I’ll follow it the first time and the second time, I’ll put my own personal touch on it. At home I love to experiment--when I cook for my family I don’t often use recipes.

Q) Do you suggest people by local or homegrown food or going and buying food? Explain.

A) If you have the space and the time in your schedule, growing your own food is not only healthy, but very rewarding. I grow my own herbs during the spring and summer, and during fall and winter I move them from outdoors and into my basement; it kind of becomes a jungle. Local farmers markets and food co-ops are also a great option. When I can, I always buy organic to avoid pesticides.

Q) I understand that you cooked for the Littlest Tumor Foundation retreats, why did you choose to help them?

A) After Tracy called me to meet with her, I looked up her info on the web. She gave me a run down about cooking for her Family Wellness Retreat in Door County. I had already decided before I met with her that I would donate my time for her retreat. I have been blessed with two very healthy children. I jumped at the chance to help these families have a great weekend in a special place.

Q) How can parents get their children to integrate healthy food into their diets?

A) Healthy eating should start at birth. The more you expose them to healthy foods, the more likely they will choose to eat healthy. Remember, kids are watching what you eat as well--set the right example. There is a lot of comfort food, it’s truly a mindset of choosing and I think that if you talk to anyone in the healthcare industry there are things a person can do. I think that people aren’t going to change the way they eat, until they are ready to change their eating habits.

Q) What has worked for you to get your children to eat healthy?

A) I raised them the same. My first child was raised on a vegetarian diet until about three when she came to Wisconsin. My 15-year-old has always been an easy-to-please kind of eater. She will try anything and enjoys healthy food--not to say that she doesn't enjoy junk food but if I stock my kitchen with good food, she will choose to eat good food.
My 6-year-old, on the other hand, is my picky eater. As with most kids, her tastes are constantly changing--one week she loves carrots and the next week she won't touch them! We grow a lot of our own veggies in the summer and that seems to help to get her to try the veggies after she has worked so hard to grow them. She also loves to cook with me and here again, if she is involved, she will try it. She has her days, some days I make Mac’ n Cheese but she also eats broccoli. I sometimes have to pick my battles. During the summer she is more likely to eat vegetables because she could see how they grow. I also find that she is more willing to try new things if they are simple--not a lot of sauces or seasoning and she prefers to eat one food at a time so no casseroles for her. I find that when I cook with my daughter she is more willing to try it later.

Q) In closing, what are some tips or even advice to give to people who are trying to eat and cook healthier?

A) The web has made searching for recipes so much easier than scouting through countless cookbooks. From what I have read I have learned that fresh is best, but frozen is the best second choice. When I do my own freezing I do them in servings of four and when it’s for a family or yourself then fresh is the best idea to go.
Take baby steps; don't try to overhaul your diet overnight. Start by adding a new fruit or vegetable each week or every other day. Try practicing Meatless Monday. Whip up a new flavored smoothie each week.

The Littlest Tumor Foundation thanks Linda Ott for this interview on how people can change their and their families’ lives by using healthier and tasty cooking options. If you are interested in her services or contacting her, Ms. Ott can be reached at:

My Culinary Angel LLC
A Personal Chef Service
(920) 904-1684
lindaott@hotmail.com
or check out her website at:

My Culinary Angel

Neurofibromatosis intern

Hello all,
My name is Mardy Wiesman, a recent spring 2011 graduate from University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. I had gone to college for a journalism degree with an emphasis in advertising and religious studies minor. I enjoy writing and my dream job someday will to be a copywriter. I have recently started at the Littlest Tumor Foundation (LTF) in late November 2011. Here, I am going to be in charge of the blog and contacting fellow bloggers on the net to join the LTF blog.
Prior to my internship here, I had no idea what neurofibromatosis (NF) was at the time. I sometimes would watch The Learning Channel (TLC) from time to time and there were a handful of specials on the disorder from time to time, although I forgot the disorder’s name over the course of time. After reading the book “Understanding Neurofibromatosis: 2nd Edition An Introduction for Patients and Parents” by James Tonsgard, Ph.D., for LTF, I was able to connect the disorder with the documentary specials I had watched years before. One of the points of both the book and the documentaries was the mentioning of café-au-lait or coffee mixed with milk-colored spots that were present on those who were afflicted with NF.
Then it came back to me. I remembered how some people would have these spots on their body and that would be all they would be afflicted with. Then I remembered how other people would get a more severe case of NF and have neurofibroma or tumors all over their bodies. Yet at the same time, NF is a common, yet relatively unheard of disorder. Here at LTF we are spreading the word on NF by means of social media such as blogging and Facebook, but also through events and campaigns. Together we can find a cure for children with NF before they reach adulthood. Join LTF today and soon we will find a treatment because, “Tumors in children, we do not like them!”

Neurofibromatosis and Green Juice

Posted on November 29, 2011 at 11:40pm

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I was moved this week when I read an article written by my friend's sister. I wanted to use my blog this week to share it with you for two main reasons.

First, I wanted to give some publicity to the rare condition of Neurofibromatosis as it is something that many of us know nothing about. Briefly, it affects 1 in 3,000 children and causes tumors to grow anywhere in the body including the brain and spine and can cause a series of other significant health issues. They range from serious skeletal abnormalities, to endocrine issues, to difficult-to-treat cancers. Much is not understood.

Tracy Wirtanen, the author of the article I read, and my friend's sister, is the mother of an 8-year-old boy, Sami, who is diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis. You can read her blog here, where she wrote as a guest on Kriss Carr's website crazysexylife.com and you can find out more information about Neurofibromatosis at the website of the foundation she created at www.littlesttumorfoundation.com

Secondly, in her article, Tracy talks about the changes she and her family have chosen to make with regard to their nutrition, both for Sami and the other members of her family. She talks about the fact that Sami drinks green juice every day, and loves it, he even asks for it! I bring this up, because it highlights something that can get forgotten when we talk about juicing. This stuff is really good for you, at a cellular level. There is a real theraputic benefit in drinking vegetable and fruit juice. Our bodies can use the nutrients provided by the juice to both prevent future tumour growth, and help the body deal heal itself.

Yes, juice is a great vehicle to boost health and vitality, and help us to clean our systems when we have overindulged, but there is a more serious side to its benefits as well. If incorporating it into your diet will allow your body to battle cancer tumours, or give your body the tools it needs to prevent them developing in the first place, then what an incredible gift you can give to yourself, and your children every day! The gift of good health!

For those of you with juicers, then try the following Green Juice recipe, packed full of antioxidants, chlorophyll and good health.

Green Delight

3 kale stalks

1/4 pineapple (not peeled)

1 apple

1/2 piece ginger (not peeled)

1 stick celery

1/2 lime (not peeled)

Pack the kale into the juicer chute, and put the apple on top, then whizz every thing through the juicer. If you want to add some extra nutrients, then add a spoonful of spirulina to the juice and blend it with some ice.

Please do click on the link to both Tracy's article and her foundations website, she is doing terrific work to educate us about this potentially devastating disease.

If nothing else, give Tracy, Sami and her family a thought or a prayer over the coming weeks, and if you are lucky enough, be thankful for you and your families good health.

Happy Juicing,

Jx

http://millburn.patch.com/blog_posts/neurofibromatosis-and-green-juice

Spork Foods Interview

Spork Foods: Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg

Q1

You two have become famous as vegan sisters who teach how to make fun and

delicious vegan food. How did you get started on this cooking path, and why did

you start Spork Foods?

A:

Jenny: I became a vegan in college with the connections I made about the

environment and food choices. Initially, it really began out of immediate necessity,

as at that time there were not a lot of vegan food products out there and it

prompted me to begin cooking and loving it. We always really wanted a sister

business and so as we came to the same realizations about food on separate

paths, it ultimately led to Spork. We love empowering people to cook and

eat fun and easy foods and the best way we know how is through classes.

Heather: It began with a bit of empowering people to take their health into their

own hands and impact animal suffering.

Q2

What do you love about vegan cooking?

A:

Heather: A lot! It makes us feel good that we make three choices a day about

what we put in our body. It impacts the earth, animals, and our health.

Jenny: It is a fun challenge to make tasty food. I am able to be creative and make

healthier options.

Q3

What are the top three most popular dishes/recipes from your book or cooking

classes?

A:

1. Mac-n-Cheese: It was 4 years in the making. It is a go-to recipe that is a great

comfort food in fall and winter.

2. Crunchy Peanut Butter Bonbons: They make people happy.

3. Seitan Wellington: It is designed for the holidays made vegan style.

Q4

Because we focus on children, in your opinions, what are the must-have

ingredients for a healthy family vegan pantry?

A:

1. Nutritional yeast: Sprinkle on popcorn and salads for good flavor.

2. Miso makes soup fast, is immune boosting, fights infection, and there are

probiotics in it. It is a staple in our pantry.

3. Fruits and vegetables, of course!

4. Kids love quinoa with chopped veggies.

5. Tortillas are great to wrap around everything, especially butternut squash

enchiladas.

Q5

What effect has vegan eating had on your lifestyle? What are the health benefits

of being a vegan?

A:

Heather: I lost 20 pounds without trying or knowing it and have stayed at my

ideal weight. I had high cholesterol and it is now perfect.

Jenny: I have a lot of energy that comes from eating good food. It is really amazing

energy and I sleep so well at night. I also no longer feel guilt about foods I eat. It

changed our lives. We are able to live out our dream with a purpose. I feel very

lucky being able to do what we love.

Q6

What is your all-time favorite recipe you have created?

A:

Fettuccine Alfredo! We crave it on a weekly basis. It is creamy from cashews and

has a satisfying quality.

Q7

What does the future hold for Spork Foods?

A:

We are working on refining the Spork online classes. We want to get the word

out to the world. We have tons of content already with 19 classes. We want to

expand our website. We have many tricks up our sleeves.

A Journal of Cookery

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

Brussel Sprouts

My kids love brussel sprouts. It is the go-to vegetable in our house, when all else fails (nutrition-wise). So I am happy they are in season! I normally just cut them in half, brown them with a bit of butter and finished them with a bit of stock till softened in a skillet (s&p, of course). But I happened upon this recipe and liked the idea of beans and brussel sprouts together. Adapted from an old Bon Appetit magazine (brussel sprouts from Farmer's Daughter http://farmersdaughter.farmvisit.com/):

Brussel Sprouts with Cannellini Beans

3/4 cup dry cannellini beans (or 1 can of cannellini)

1 cup vegetable stock

2 lbs brussel sprouts

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tbsp butter (plus an additional tbsp for finishing)

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan

Salt and pepper

Soak beans overnight...drain, rinse and cover with cold water (about 2 inches higher than the beans). Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer 1 hour (add a couple cloves of garlic for flavor...salt when there is about 15 minutes left to go). (Skip this step, if using canned.) Melt 2 tbsp butter and toss w/brussel sprouts...roast in oven at 450 for 15 minutes. In a skillet, saute garlic in remaining butter and then add stock and brussel sprouts for 5 minutes...then beans, salt, and pepper. Place in serving dish and add cheese.

(Am going to use this opportunity to plug my favorite beans,

Rancho Gordo, www.ranchogordo.com)

*Sidenote...I ended up cutting the brussel sprouts in half at the end, and would recommend cutting them in half before roasting in the oven.

The Power of Family Fitness

The Power of Family Fitness

Often times, when we think about being active we think of it as something we have to “squeeze in” when our kids are sleeping, at a friend’s house, or at school. Have you ever thought about how great it would be to include your family in your pursuit to exercise more regularly? Exercising as a family will improve the health of your entire family, make exercise more fun, and at the same time help family members develop stronger connections.

Some simple tips to get you started.

You may start out by simply focusing on educating the entire family about the benefits of being active and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Put up a healthy living bulletin board in your kitchen, with resources about the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle, this will help get your point across, without having to bombard your family with statistics and facts related to living healthy. Example: post a story about a young person who had trouble focusing at school but started exercising and saw an amazing difference. You are only limited by your creativity!

Here are a few other ideas to get your family focused on fitness:

• Have a family member pick an exercise at the beginning of the week and make that your family activity for the week. Then train throughout the week with the goal of improving by the weekend. Keep the focus on the fact that everyone is improving. Rotate who gets to pick the activity each week.




• Hold a family fitness night each week. Each week select a different family member to design the family workout that you will all do together. This ensures that everyone gets to do something they enjoy, and your workout will never become dull.




• Join a fitness facility. You will be surprised how motivated your entire family will become when you all head out for a workout after dinner each night or take a class together. You can also purchase small pieces of equipment to keep around the house (jump ropes, resistance bands, stability balls and dumbbells) to keep you from missing your workout on even the busiest of school nights.




• Never underestimate the power of going for a walk. It is a great mode of activity and also naturally encourages conversation.




• Set some family goals. Example: Set a target of being activity 3 nights per week, and build from there.

Most importantly, make the process fun. You’ll be teaching your children about discipline, goal setting, and the importance of not only health, but also family connection.