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I was at a fun holiday party yesterday (a wine and food pairing party, I’ll be posting about this separately!), and one of our friends, Ryan, made the most delicious dessert: Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk cookies. Now, I only post recipes that I’ve personally made myself or ones that I’ve tried and think are excellent. These are, without a doubt, some of the best cookies I’ve ever had (I literally could not stop eating them).They’re perfect to take along to any holiday party and are also easy to make (beware, you will be spending some extra time on the treadmill unless you have great willpower, which I do not). Enjoy!

Recipe makes approx. 2-1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package sweetened dried cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips (~ 4-ounce bar, chopped)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Beat margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, mixing well.
4. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
5. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition.
6. Stir in sweetened dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.
7. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

I absolutely stuffed myself this past weekend with delicious Thanksgiving food…the cheeses,  onion green beans, stuffing, cranberry, pies…and the list could go on and on.  So last night, I wanted to make something healthy that had different set of flavors than Thanksgiving food. Here’s a recipe for homemade vegetarian Pad Thai that’s actually much easier than you might think. I served it with a wilted spinach salad and it was delicious…enjoy!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

The Sauce:

¼ cup tomato paste

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup tamari soy sauce

3 tablespoons lime juice

½ teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

The rest:

8 ounces dried rice stick noodles (1/8 inch wide)

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 pound extra-firm tofu, sliced ½ inch thick, patted very dry and cu t into ½ inch cubes

2 large eggs, well beaten

1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts

1 cup bean sprouts

2 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths and shredded lengthwise

Directions:

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients  together in a small bowl and set aside
2. Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Drop in the rice stick noodles and toss very well with tongs to make sure they don’t stick together. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until al dente. Make sure the noodles are still slightly firm because they will soften further when stir-fried. Drain thoroughly in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain again.
3. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the tofu. Stir-fry until golden all over. Place the tofu on a platter.
4. Add a half-tablespoon oil to the pan. Pour in the eggs and quickly cook like a pancake. Remove to a plate and cut into bite-size pieces.
5. Pour the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the noodles, tofu, eggs, peanuts and bean sprouts, and mix with tongs. Pour on the sauce and toss to coat well. Cook until hot throughout, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle on the scallions, toss, and serve.

A great new website, Local Dirt (www.localdirt.com/), is a place that brings sellers and buyers of local food together.  Here in Los Angeles, I’m spoiled by Farmers Markets that happen all over the city, multiple times a week. So as a test, I used my hometown zip code from NY. Voila! A ton of Farmers Markets close by.  

A viable question that people often have about the local movement is – ‘where do I start,’ and, ‘how are local products doable during winter months?’ …Start at Local Dirt, type in your zip, and see what pops up. While your local Farmers Markets typically won’t have summer fruits like strawberries in the fall and winter, you’ll find some other interesting produce/products.

The best part of buying local foods is the interesting stuff you discover. I’ve cooked some amazing, unexpected dishes with stuff I find there that I’ve never cooked before (gigantic eggplants, varieties of peppers I’ve never heard of, kale, new types of mushrooms, etc…). If you go to your local Farmers Market this weekend, pick up a butternut squash and make “Rebecca’s Butternut Squash Soup” featured on the site. Have fun!

Most of us are too busy to think about what we’re going to eat on a daily basis. It’s much easier to do that on a weekend when we don’t have to work. But what about a hectic  Wednesday? Most people barely have the time to sleep, let alone make sure they’re getting the right foods in their bodies.  

I’ve been reading more about Acai, which is a great way to integrate a Superfood into your diet because it comes in juice form. Dr. Perricone (featured on Oprah.com) believes Acai to be the number 1 Superfood.  For people like us who commute, spend (a lot) of time in the office, hit the gym, and then meet up with friends, acai is perfect for us. We can drink it as we’re doing all of those things that we do so well.   

Here’s are the benefits of Acai, courtesy of Oprah.com:

A remarkable concentration of antioxidants that help combat premature aging, with 10 times more antioxidants than red grapes and 10 to 30 times the anthocyanins of red wine.

A synergy of monounsaturated (healthy) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols to help promote cardiovascular and digestive health.

An almost perfect essential amino acid complex in conjunction with valuable trace minerals, vital to proper muscle contraction and regeneration.

The fatty acid content in açaí resembles that of olive oil, and is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid. Oleic acid is important for a number of reasons. It helps omega-3 fish oils penetrate the cell membrane; together they help make cell membranes more supple. By keeping the cell membrane supple, all hormones, neurotransmitter and insulin receptors function more efficiently. This is particularly important because high insulin levels create an inflammatory state, and we know, inflammation causes aging.

So, sip up and fight those premature wrinkles! You can find acai juice at any health store or Whole Foods.

Ever run out of ideas for what to make for dinner? I do, which is why I like to archive my recipes here on natlifestyle. I can’t tell you how many times I’ll be at Whole Foods, logging on to get the ingredients for a recipe on my iphone. As you can see, I’m a big fan of vegetarian cooking and love trying out meatless dishes. Here is a really easy, delicious and vegan recipe for homemade lentil soup.

By the way, check out Whole Foods 365 brand for organic (and inexpensive) versions of the ingredients, including the lentils.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 carrots, chopped (or 3 handfuls of baby carrots)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (24.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups dry lentils
• 3 cups water
• 3-4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (as you cook lentil soup, the lentils absorb the liquid, so I always have a little more stock on hand if needed)
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• Cumin to taste (I love this spice)

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender and other vegetables are slightly soft (about 7 minutes). Stir in garlic.

Add water, vegetable stock, tomatoes, and lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour (or until lentils are soft). Feel free to add in additional vegetable stock. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cumin (I used about 5 pinches). Perfect for a chilly fall day…enjoy!

I’m a big fan of reading up on diets and different types of food lifestyles. It’s kind of a geeky hobby.  My personal take on food is that I try to avoid the processed stuff and stick to local, organic foods as much as I can  (unless there’s a special occasion, like Halloween, where I needed sour patch kids). I’m about moderation, so it’s not about being so strict, but rather learning from different diets and incorporating them into my own every now and then for health benefits. Raw food is a perfect example — I have a blast going to these cool raw food restaurants in Santa Monica and Venice.

I wanted to learn a bit more about the Macrobiotic diet to see if there’s anything I can incorporate into my own diet. I found this great article on oprah.com that outlines what it’s about. I also plan on perusing the book the article mentions: “The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics.” Enjoy!

Eating Your Way to Better Health
By Erin J. Shea
Following a Macrobiotic Diet

The word macrobiotic comes from “macro,” which means large, and “bio,” which means “life.” Practitioners of a macrobiotic diet generally seek a way of eating that incorporates physical and spiritual health. Rich in soy and phytoestrogens, which are a diverse group of nonsteroidal plant compounds found in food such as nuts, oilseeds and flaxseed, the macrobiotic diet is predominately vegetarian and emphasizes whole grains and vegetables.

“The real spirit of macrobiotics is about freedom,” says Jessica Porter, author of The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics. “One eats healthy foods most of the time so that one can eat more extreme foods some of the time. People in good health can go out and play, having a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate cake. They return to their regular macro foods in order to maintain their health and eventually play again.”

Porter says the philosophy in macrobiotic thinking is explained through the lens of yin and yang. “We eat foods that are whole, local and in season [so] that our bodies get perfect yin-ness and yang-ness needed for the natural environment in which we live. When we harmonize with nature, we experience strength, flexibility, freedom and happiness.” For example, she says those who live in New York City and eat what she calls “yin foods” like bananas, yogurt and sugar on a daily basis become weakened and lose touch with the natural world.

Cooking macrobiotic food takes time. Porter suggest people start by cooking and eating whole grains on a daily basis, which can take up to an hour to cook. “Just make some brown rice and chew it well,” she says. “In my experience, after people begin to eat whole grains daily, [they'll] want to cook an hour a day.”

Though it can be expensive, Porter says certain items such as sea vegetables and miso last a long time and the elimination of meat and dairy in exchange for grains and beans balances out any high costs on a grocery bill.

“These days, with muffins, cappuccinos and microwave dinners making up our daily fare, we’re eating in a way that weakens our bodies and minds over time,” Porter says. “When we end up depressed or anxiety-ridden, we’re told it’s all in our heads, when very often, it’s all on our plates.”

My friend Rebecca is an amazing cook. She made this soup last week with ingredients from the farmers market and it was delicious…like some of the best soup I’ve ever had. A wonderfully simple vegetarian soup recipe for the fall. 

Ingredients (yields about 4 appetizer servings or 2 main dish servings):

• 1 med size butternut squash
• 4 cups of organic vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 small red onion
• 5-10 Sage leaves

Directions:

Cut the squash in half length wise, scoop the seeds out, place face down on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, bake on 350 until soft all the way through.
Sautee the finely chopped onions until brown, about 5 minutes. In a large pan, add the onion, vegetable or chicken stock along with  5-10 whole sage leaves. Bring to a simmer.
After the squash is cooled, peel the skin off and puree in the food processor.
 
Remove the sage leaves from the stock. Add the squash puree, stir together, bring to a simmer. Serve warm.

I love to have people over – small gatherings, large gatherings, whatever. I’m always looking for new ideas when it comes to serving food and drinks. But let’s face it: it’s hard to stick to organic products when it comes to serving drinks. Where would I even start shopping for organic alcholic beverages? What could I make?

Paul Abercrombie’s engaging, colorful book , “Organic, Shaken and Stirred” is a great way to learn about making organic cocktails, and not stuff you’d expect (organic rum and cola), but really interesting drinks (ever hear of a Saffron Margarita? I hadn’t!)

 He first takes you through all types of organic alcholic drinks and where to buy them (vodka, tequila, rum, wine, spirits, etc.) as well as mixers and the tools you’ll need (glassware, etc.) He then provides tons of cool recipes – stuff I’ve certainly never heard of, but would be proud to serve my friends at a party, like the aformentioned Saffron Margarita, Blackberry Mojito, Lavendar Lemon Drop, Elderflower Fizz, and the list could go on and on.

So, for the creative, organic and even flat out bored hosts/hostesses who’d like to try something new, check out “Organic, Shaken and Stirred” for a fun and useful read.

I looked in my closet yesterday and realized I had some old, now dinosour-like electronics (remember how big the first generation ipods were?) Anyway, now that ipods, laptops, cell phones and other electronics have been on the market for a long time (that old ipod was purchased 5 years ago already!), there’s a lot of waste. People need a solution for throwing out their old electronics responsibly.

This is where ecoATM comes in, a company that has created an ‘eCycling’ station for pricing and buy-back of used consumer electronics and mobile phones for trade-in/trade-up and recycling. While ecoATM won’t give you cash for an old device, it will offer money off something in the store it’s installed in, or let you choose from various gift cards. eco ATM’s are expected to roll out in stores in San Diego (where they’re based), Boston, Dallas and Seattle.

Check out this smart company here: http://www.ecoatm.com/

Shireen Qudosi of air-n-water.com is my very first guest blogger. As the holiday season approaches and there’s lots of opportunities for hosting parties, here are her insights on eco-friendly entertaining. Happy Halloween!

Find out how you can be the talk of the town by throwing a chic eco-friendly party

Get off on the right foot - First thing’s first: the invites. Make sure you use invites made from recycled paper. Contrary to ecologically-challenged perceptions, recycled paper can look and feel just like high grade paper, but minus the guilty conscience. If ordering them from a professional, ask whether they use recycled paper.

Faux Flowers – Gone are the days of deplorable fake flowers you could spot a mile away – usually collecting dust in some over-crowded knick-knack filled nook and cranny in your grandmother’s house.  These days, if you know where to look, fake flowers can pass for the real thing.

Aside from standard silk flowers (which are still using silk worms), there’s the option of clay flowers.  Deco Clay flowers are absolutely gorgeous and look just like the real thing – except that they cost a fraction of the price, are environmentally safe, and last forever.

The even better upside is they’re reusable so you’ll save money in the long run, plus you’re not contributing to flower butchery nor the very unsustainable flower industry, which has to shower flowers with pesticides – a factor that’s damaging to both you and the environment.

However, if faux is not your thing, then get flowers from the local farmers market.  You can even get great arrangements and settings out of potted plants and flowers.  A personal favorite is the clever use of moss as decorative center pieces. Moss is not only cheap, sustainable, and uber chic, but it can also be planted afterwards with next to no effort. 

Lighting and Décor – One big aspect of party planning is how the party will look. You want your guests to be dazzled, “oohs and ahhs” should be pouring out, compliments gushing.

When done right, the atmosphere that lighting and decorations can create will provoke that response. But rather than choosing blazing electric lights to illuminate the event, try choose more environmentally friendly lighting. Candles are the perfect choice, as they are both lovely and economical – not to mention they don’t require any energy to run.

As for the décor, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars when home made paper goods will be far cheaper and far more interesting.  Consider making paper mobiles, such as the popular origami crane mobiles. You can hang them lined up on a string, as a collective, or individually from just about anywhere.  You can even use left over ones as decoration pieces on the dinner table – plus making them out of scrap paper makes good use out of something that was just going in the bin anyway.

Eco-Friendly Wine – Because it’s not just about what you’re using, but what you’re consuming, try switching out your wine for one that is more Earth friendly.  There are three categories of eco-friendly wines: sustainable, organic, and biodynamic.

“Sustainable” means that grapes were grown with few to no chemical, fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides.  This method nurtures the soil naturally, whereas “organic” wines are grown in organically certified vineyards and are made without added sulfites.

On the other hand, “biodynamic” winemaking goes way beyond organics. With biodynamics, the farm is viewed as a living system. The soil is treated with complex compost preparations (of course without chemicals or pesticides), including quartz, yarrow flowers, stinging nettle, and more.

Biodynamic winemakers claim to have noted stronger, clearer, more vibrant tastes in their wines, as taste test conducted by Fortune confirmed. Now all you have to do switch out bulky refrigerators for portable wine coolers, an energy efficient way to chill your wine.

Sustainable Serving – If you consider the glasses, dishes, knives, forks, bowls, and all the other little items used to create a smash hit setting, you quickly start to realize how much goes into entertaining. 

In order to host not only your guests, but a more eco-friendly lifestyle, consider purchasing tableware made out of recycled materials.  You don’t even have to trade in your luxe taste. In a green-conscious corporate world, companies across the board are all offering unique yet refined dining options, including dishes made out of recycled glass.

Target, for example, has recycled glass goblets great for a Sunday brunch; whereas Macy’s cobalt blue stemless wineglasses offer an element of sophistication.  These stunning little gems, made with 30% recycled glass, are a striking visual for an evening dinner.

However, if you’re opting for something even more sustainable, try compostable cornware tableware, biodegradable sugarcane plates, or even biodegradable bambooware.  These serving alternatives are not only green but far cheaper than buying 50 sets of “real” dishes to accommodate larger gatherings. On the other hand, if you insist on using “real dishes”, then I suggest using what you have rather than buying more. If done right, mixing and matching dishes (and even seating) can offer an eccentric look that’s sure to catch your guests’ eyes.

Set the Stage – The real drama at any party is at the dinner table. The visual centerpiece of the evening should reflect the mood you want to create.  Whatever your choice, make sure that you set your table using eco-friendly items.  In addition to naturally available plants and flowers, as well as sustainable dishes, you can get organic table cloths, runners, and napkins; you can even make sure the lamp shades and curtains are eco-wary items.  Setting the stage doesn’t have to be limited to just the table – your whole environment can reflect your eco-chic taste.

Ice Goes Eco – There’s no point in wasting time, gas, paper and plastic by going to the store to purchase ice for your party.  Rather, a sleek compact portable ice maker will quickly plunk down cube upon cube to keep drinks nice and cool.  Plus, nothing kills a party like someone announcing “We’re out of ice.”

Leave Them Wide-Eyed and Wondered – One of the most important elements of any party, large or small, is how your guests feel when they leave. Out of the many ways to send your guests off, the most beautiful and memorable has to be a sky lantern send off.

Lanterns (lights) are very popular in South Asian and Asian cultures, where lights represent both spirituality and hope. It’s a spirited feeling to stand there gathered with friends, lighting and releasing lanterns that ascend as golden orbs set against a dark night’s sky. 

Made out of recycled paper and bamboo, sky lanterns are also eco-friendly.  For added measure, have your guests write messages on each lantern before sending them off.

Hostess Gifts - And any chic eco-hostess knows to lead by example even when attending other parties. When attending another bash, swap out your normal hostess gift for one that is earth-friendly.  The same goes for others who obey the rule of “do not go empty handed” – simply swap out the routine bouquet of flowers or dessert with something eco-chic that shows of your cleverness and commitment to the environment.

There are a ton of options for sustainable gifts.  There’s even a growing trend of green toys if it’s a child’s birthday you happen to be attending. But more importantly, there’s no reason to give green gifts just as a hostess gift; swap out Christmas and birthday presents for the same. 

But above all, here’s the simplest rule for eco-entertaining: “Use what you have, and borrow what you don’t”, and remember that at the end of the day, a great party is about who you’re with and not what you have.  

Eco-Friendly Entertaining is brought to you by Shireen Qudosi.  Shireen http://www.air-n-water.com to help them share an eco-minded philosophy with consumers.  To contact her, email Shireen@air-n-water.com  

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