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WEEK 15 - BLOG CHALLENGE - Collard Greens.

Well this is the last week of this blog challenge, and it is timely - at the end of the year, just before Christmas. So one last time to sneek some healthy greens into your diet amongst the sweets and turkey! The easiest thing to do is to just add the greens into your salad. My favorite salads are ones with mixed greens, or you can be more decadent and cook them with bacon. Since these greens are so tough, I find the easiest way to introduce them into your diet is to make a green smoothie. For those who have a hard time eating vegetables - try drinking them instead! Mix the greens with some citrus fruit or berries and anything will taste great.

I do recommend adding them to your diet as they are such a super food of nutrients. First of all, collards are high in fibre and protein. You wouldn't expect a green vegetable to pack such a protein punch with 4 g protein per cup. They are also an excellent source of Vitamin A, C and K, calcium and iron. Research proves that collards have more calcium than milk. According to Alisa Flemming of Nutriton Headlines, that only applies if the collards are cooked! 1 cup of cooked collards has 357 mg of calcium compared to milk, but 1 cup of raw collards only has 52 mg of calcium. This is partly due to the greens shrinking when heated, meaning you need more quantity of greens to equal 1 full cup.

Calcium isn't the only nutrient needed for good bone health. Vitamin K plays a role in regulating bone formation, and those with low bone density are usually low in vitamin K! One cup of cooked collards will give you 858% of your daily required amount of vitamin K. So collards are an excellent food for bone health.

Pastel drawing.

I love drawing any leaf. The veins of collards remind me of tree branches, they are very distinct. Some leaf veins are very subtle, but these ones are bold. The back sides of collard greens are a silvery green color, so it made a nice contrast to draw one collard from the front and the other on the backside. The outer edges with the curled lip and rips also add visual interest to draw. When drawing a form that is one colour, it is key to emphasize the subtle shift changes in colour, from the cool purple greens for shadows to the yellow greens for highlights. This helps add dimension to the forms.

Collard Greens with Bacon.docx

How to get started...
1) Introduce collards into your diet this week. Use the recipe provided or find your own. You can even use collard greens for wraps. I try to offer the simplest recipes with the fewest ingredients to encourage simplicity.

2) Since collards are very large leaves with raised veins, they would make a good rubbing. Remember the days when you were a kid, and you would collect leaves, then make rubbings of them. Take a piece of thin, computer paper and lay it over a collard leaf. Use a wax crayon or pencil crayon, and colour over top to get the texture rubbing of the leaf. It's that simple. Don't forget to photograph it.

Keep it simple and have fun and submit your 'creations' to me at lynnldallaire@gmail.com.

WEEK 14 - BLOG CHALLENGE - Broccolini.

Once again I chose a new vegetable based on my search, 'what can I find that is organic'? Living in Northern Alberta proves to be a challenge at times to find a variety of organic produce. It is rare to find organic broccoli, but the grocery store was carrying organic broccolini that week, so I bought it. Similar is taste and texture to broccoli, just smaller, it was an easy addition to my diet. Both are equally nutritious with a high source of Vitamin A, C and K.

Broccoli and broccolini are both cruciferous vegetables which means they are filled with indoles and isothiocyanates - phytonutrients. Indole-3 carbinol assists in detoxifying human tissues, promotes hormone balance, and provides excellent cellular nourishment. Isothiocyantes are a sulfur-containing phytonutrient that combats cariogens by neutralizing them.

Broccolini is actually a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli, also called baby broccoli. It is sweeter than broccoli and the stalks do not need to be peeled. The stems of broccoli or broccolini are just as nutritious as the crowns or heads, but are often thrown away, as they are tough, need peeling and do not look as appealing. So broccolini is a great way to get used to eating the whole plant, as the stems are more tender than the broccoli plants.

Pastel drawing

At first glance, I thought drawing all the little seeds on the broccolini head would be a challenge, but it is mearly a repetition of small oval shapes. As for shading the seed head, I looked for patches of dark shadows and highlighted some of the seeds - once again, easier than it appears. The long stocks and small leaves add visual texture and movement in what would otherwise be a static composition. The leaves (and shadows) also create interesting negative spaces to break up the background space. Being able to see the negative shapes within the spaces between shapes is how you create an interesting composition.

Lemon Broccolini.docx

How to get started...
1) Introduce broccolini into your diet this week. Use the recipe provided or find your own - make sure you eat the stems!
2) Cut the broccolini florets and the stems separately and arrange to make a picture. Since the florets are round and the stems are straight lines, maybe arrange them into a mandala! Add a few other colourful vegetables to the mandala and take a photo!

Keep it simple and have fun and submit your 'creations' to me at lynnldallaire@gmail.com so I can track your progress for your prize!

WEEK 13 -BLOG CHALLENGE - Green Beans.

Green beans are very versatile, they can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, baked and sauteed and variety is the spice of life. We need to eat from a variety of vegetables from a rainbow of colours to get all the nutrients we need.

Green beans (also known as string beans) are often a staple in peoples diet which is good as they are loaded with Vitamin A, C, and iron. Vitamin A supports the immune system as well as maintaining healthy eyes and skin. Vitamin C strengthens blood vessels, bones and teeth. Iron allows your muscles to store oxygen for future use and helps your red blood cells circulate. oxygen into the bloodstream.

Variety in food energetics is also key for good nutrition. The science behind Traditional Chinese Medicine is that all food has energy and this energy can affect our bodies. Food can be hot/cold, yin/yang, alkaline or acid forming. It is maintaining a balance of both that creates good health. So if you eat too many yin foods (sugar, fruits, alcohol for example) you need to balance your diet with neutral foods or yang foods (meat, eggs, cheese, salt). Vegetables are considered neutral and balancing foods (from dark leafy greens to root vegetables).

Green beans are considered neutral in temperature, they are neither warming or cooling for the body. Food affects mood. So if you are feeling space, unfocused or scattered, maybe you are eating to many yin foods and you need to balance with neutral foods. Of if you are feeling forceful and agressive, maybe you are eating too many yang foods. Neutral foods (vegetables) will add balance to your diet.

Maybe try some green beans?

pastel drawing

Since beans are long and lean, I knew I had to draw many of them to fill out the composition. Overlapping them also added some much needed angles and from the strong horizontal direction. I also wanted to add some interesting negative spaces between the beans to make it visually more pleasing.

Green Beans with Hazelnuts and Lemon
By Christina - All Recipes.ca

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
• Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook beans 3 to 8 minutes or until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl.
2. Add olive oil, lemon zest, hazelnuts, salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Beans may be made 1 day ahead, chilled and covered, then reheated.

Nutritional Value:
Green beans/ 100 g = 31 calories
Fat 0.2 g
Carbohydrate 7 g
Fiber 2.7 g
Sugar 3.3 g
Protein 1.8 g
Source of: Vitamin A, C, B6, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium.

Green Beans with Hazelnuts and Lemon.docx

Green Beans with Hazelnuts and Lemon.docx

Green Beans with Hazelnuts and Lemon.docx

How to get started...
1) Introduce green beans into your diet this week. Use the recipe provided or find your own.
2) Green beans are long, lean and linear. Try using the beans to make letters and spell your name. Or what other word could you spell with green beans? Have fun making a word or simple picture using lines and take a picture.

Keep it simple and have fun and submit your 'creations' to me at lynnldallaire@gmail.com so I can track your progress for your prize!

How to get started...
1) Introduce green beans into your diet this week. Use the recipe provided or find your own.
2) Green beans are long, lean and linear. Try using the beans to make letters and spell your name. Or what other word could you spell with green beans? Have fun making a word or simple picture using lines and take a picture.

Keep it simple and have fun and submit your 'creations' to me at lynnldallaire@gmail.com so I can track your progress for your prize!

Share your recipes on Facebook, or email them to me and I can share them too!

WEEK 12 - BLOG CHALLENGE - Sunchokes!

I am always open to trying new foods- especially vegetables and these Sunchokes jumped out at me for their unique appearance. They look like a ginger root, but are a tuber root and taste a bit like a potato with a crunchy texture. They are also known as Jerusalem Artichokes as well as Canadian Artichokes.

They were actually grown as a Native American Sunflower, but the tubers were eaten too. According to Canadian Gardening magazine, they are easy to grow - too easy as they can be invasive. Some consider this plant a weed, but in late summer it has small yellow flowers and the cold Canadian weather creates a sweet, crisp tuber.

Initially I was drawn to this root vegetable because of it's unique form, but I really enjoyed the simple recipe on the back of the package, so I know I'll be buying them again. Oh yes, and they were organic too! It's hard to find organic potatoes out of harvest season, so consider this a great alternative to eating potatoes in the winter season.

They have double the fiber of potatoes and a whopping 400 times more thiamine (vitamin B1), which is important for muscle function, the functioning of the central nervous system, the metabolism of carbohydrates, and digestion. (These numbers and other nutritional information come from the USDA's National Agricultural Library.)

Pastel drawing

I was drawn to the bumpy forms on these sunchokes as well as the interesting layers of it's outer peel. The layers of skin create a stripe pattern. Some of the bumps look like faces on the tubers. Of course, I couldn't just draw one sunchoke as that would be a boring composition, so following the rule of 3's or odd numbers, I made an arrangment and cropped some of the sunchokes to create more interesting negative spaces (background shapes). The background space is just as important as the object in a good composition and the knobby forms of these create unique spaces.

Roasted Sunchokes.docx

How to get started...
1) Introduce sunchokes into your diet this week. Use the recipe provided or find your own.

2) Sunchokes are almost sculptural forms in themselves. Try making a sculpture out of them, by piercing them with toothpicks or skewers and attaching them together. Poke a short skewer into one tuber, then attach another tuber to the end of that tuber. Keep adding in any direction to make a tower or scultpure. Take a photo before you take it apart to slice them and cook them. Use your imagination.

Keep it simple and have fun and submit your 'creations' to me at lynnldallaire@gmail.com so I can track your progress for your prize!

Share your recipes on Facebook, or email them to me and I can share them too!

WEEK 11 - BLOG CHALLENGE - Brussels Sprouts!

Weeks ago when I was grocery shopping, I ran into a friend and when he saw the Brussels sprouts in my cart he said "Brussels sprouts - REALLY?" and I said "YES, I actually like them!!!" We roast them often with just oil and salt and pepper, so simple to make and so good for you. They are a great source of antioxidants and are high in fiber (10% of RDA) which is good for digestion. Now if only I could get my kids to like them!

They look like mini cabbages and they are part of the cabbage family. I think they look like mini 'brains' - which is interesting since they do help protect brain cells! According to the Alzheimers' association, cruciferous vegetables (Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, broccoli, cabbage and collard greens) reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and protect brain cells due to their high antioxidant levels.

Brussels sprouts are also an excellent source of Vitamin K. Only 100g of brussel sprouts will give you 147% of your required daily allowance. Vitamin K supports bone health but also helps prevent Alzheimer's disease by limiting neuron damage in the brain.

Pastel Drawing

Brussels sprouts are interesting to draw since they are miniature cabbage forms, let they have distinct leaf patterns on the exterior. Leaves are realatively easy to draw flat, with their vein patterns, but to draw the veins onto a rounded form is what adds the depth. Once again in my arrangement I focused on 'odd numbers' and left some space between a few sprouts for more visual interest. The pale shadows help to anchor the Brussles sprouts down, while creating interesting shapes. The green colour ranged from light pale yellow to kelly green to a darker blue green.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Bacon.docx

How to get started...
1) Introduce Brussels Sprouts into your diet this week. Use the recipe provided or find your own. Everyone loves bacon, so this is a great recipe for enticing the non-Brussels Sprouts lovers.

2) Brussels sprouts can be sliced in half to cook quicker, but also can be easily arranged to make a picture. Be creative with your slicing to see what picture you can make with your food. Don't forget you can peel off individual leaves and these leaves could also be used in the arrangement. Take a photo! Maybe get creative and 'press' some leaves in a book and let them dry out. Artists have created some very beautiful 'pressed' flower arrangements onto cards. Maybe this may inspire you.

Keep it simple and have fun and submit your 'creations' to me at lynnldallaire@gmail.com so I can track your progress for your prize!

Share your recipes on Facebook, or email them to me and I can share them too!

WEEK 10 - BLOG CHALLENGE - Eggplant!

Eggplant is also known as aubergine, a garden egg or a guinea squash. Most people are familiar with the purple 'egg-like' plant, but eggplants come in a variety of sizes and colours from long and thin to white and green in colour.

Eating eggplant will give you 10% of your daily fiber as well as vitamin C, iron, magnesium and potassium. The skin of an eggplant is loaded with flavoniods (a plant pigment) that fight free radicals. The rich purple colour is due to anthocyanins which is a compound in flavonoids that gives it a deep purple colour. Flavonoids come in a variety of colours (red, purple or blue) and it is the reason why we should eat from a rainbow of colours.

Clinical studies have found that increasing your intake of anthocyanins will lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

The high fibre content of eggplants, make them a great choice for weight management since fiber helps to satiet you and add necessary bulk to your elimination system. Fiber is necessary for good colon health as it feeds the gut flora necessary for healthy digestion.

Pastel Drawing

I will admit - I am more in love with the look of eggplant than I am about the taste of it, but I do enjoy it. The colour of eggplant (deep rich purple) is one of my favorite colours - it draws you in. It has a blue hue in the shadows and a warm pink/red hue in the highlights. It is so dark it almost reads black. The sheen of the plant creates strong highlights and who can resist the shape of it! So drawing the form was simple and fun.

Smoky Eggplant Dip.docx

How to get started...
1) Introduce eggplant into your diet this week. Use the recipe provided or find your own.

2) Since the eggplant is such a simple form, try drawing it! Find a colour that best matches it. Or if the colour really inspires you - add some rich purple to your wardrobe or home decor!

The pictures below are such a fun and simple way to PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD! What creation can you slice your egg plant into? Take a photo of it and then enjoy a healthy and simple side dish. Remember this is suppose to be fun!

Keep it simple and have fun and submit your 'creations' to me at lynnldallaire@gmail.com so I can track your progress for your prize!

Share your recipes on Facebook, or email them to me and I can share them too!

WEEK 9 - BLOG CHALLENGE - Patty Pan Squash!

The patty pan squash is a popular summer squash known for its small shape and scalloped edges (sometimes called the scalloped squash). Most patty pan squashes are yellow or white in color, and they are often no more than 2 to 3 inches in size, but this patty pan squash was a large green one! It looked a lot like a U.F.O! Which is exactly what my kids said - "what is that U.F.O. looking thing in the fridge?"

This summer I participated in a community supported agriculture who practiced organic gardening - which would explain the large patty pan squash I received.

While summer squash contains very little overall fat, 'The Worlds' Healthiest Food' organization says the fat in summer squash (mostly stored in its edible seeds) is unique in composition and includes omega-3s, which are necessary for good heart health and brain health. What also makes summer squashes such a healthy food is the fact that they are rich in pectin's (a unique polysaccharide) that helps reduce the risk of diabetes by regulating insulin. Summer squashes are also high in Vitamin C and antioxidants - especially in the skin. So when cooking and eating summer squash, keep the skin on for maximum nutrition.

Pastel drawing

It was very fun to draw - such a unique shape. It was round and flattened with scallops along the edges. It made interesting shapes when sliced too. I found the form interesting enough to draw as is with the cast shadows completing the composition.

Sauteéd Patty Pan Squash.docx

How to get started...
1) Introduce patty pan squash or any other summer into your diet this week. Use the recipe provided or find your own.

2) Since the patty pan is such a unique form, try drawing it! Or maybe you wish to carve into it like a pumpkin. Carve a face with a knife or any design. Don't cut deep into the skin, just scratch the surface, so you can still cut it and eat it later. Maybe slice the patty pan into medallions and see what interesting shapes they make. Experiment with arranging the shapes into a pattern. Take a photo of it and then enjoy a healthy and simple side dish.

Keep it simple and have fun and submit your 'creations' to me at lynnldallaire@gmail.com so I can track your progress for your prize!

Share your recipes on Facebook, or email them to me and I can share them too!

WEEK 8 - BLOG CHALLENGE - Green Cabbage!

Now that Halloween has come and gone, you may be wanting to come down from the sugar high from all the free candy! Here is an easy tip! The best remedy for eating healthy is to CROWD OUT the bad foods by simply ADDING IN some good whole foods!

Cabbage is considered a cruciferous veggetable (also known as a Brassica, which means cabbage in Latin). Cabbage is considered one of the healthiest foods for lowering your cholesterol. How does this work? The high fiber content in cabbage binds together with bile acids and the bile acids help excrete excess cholesterol and toxins!

According to the 'World's Healthiest Foods' organization, cabbage supports the digestive tract as well as the cardiovascular system. Cabbage is rich in polyphenols (antioxidants) and glucosinolates (sulfur containing chemicals). Glucosinolates convert into ITC's (isothiocyanates) and these ITC's help prevent cancer and help regulate good gut flora in the digestive tract. So cabbage has many overall health benefits from lowering inflammation to reduce cancer, to lowering cholesterol and supporting our digestive health to increase good gut flora and help eliminate toxins.

There are a variety of types of cabbage, from red, to green, to savoy, and Napa cabbage - all of which have unique properties. I've chosen to focus on the green cabbage - most common and easiest to integrate into your diet. Most cabbage is often chopped or shredded for consumption, but here is a tip for storing and cutting your cabbage.

* The smaller you cut or chop your cabbage, the greater risk of discoloration, dehydration and nutrient loss. So if you chop or shred your cabbage, it has a shorter shelf life. Storing a whole cabbage will last longer - about a week or more refriderated.

Pastel drawing

Drawing this cabbage was like getting lost in a labyrinth! The many layers of the cabbage leafs create a mesmerizing maze of lines and shapes. Once again, drawing is about capturing the 'essence' of the object and the 'essence' of the cabbage is an organic maze of lines interweaving amoungst themselves in a random pattern. I started by drawing the dark shapes (holes in the pattern) as markers, then drew a random maze of organic lines in and around the shapes. It was a quick and fun way to get lost in it. As I was drawing, I couldn't help wonder if the effects of drawing the cabbage were the same as walking a labyrinth!

This recipe is super simple and a nice change from coleslaw!

Shredded Green Cabbage Salad with Lemon and Garlic.docx

How to get started...
1) Introduce cabbage into your diet this week. Use the recipe provided or find your own.

2) Since cabbage is multi-layered, you may wish to peel a few layers of leaves before chopping it into smaller pieces. Try slicing the head into rings. Arrange the rings, leaves and smaller pieces to create a picture. You may wish to experiment with red and green cabbage for colour variety. Play with your food! Then take a photograph of it. OR slice the cabbage in 1/2 and trace your finger along the maze of lines. On a piece of paper, try to draw the maze of lines- it doesn't have to be an exact replica - just a a sense of the lines curving around themselves. Do you feel calmer after looking at the maze of lines?

Keep it simple and have fun and submit your 'creations' to me at lynnldallaire@gmail.com so I can track your progress for your prize!

Share your recipes on Facebook, or email them to me and I can share them too!

WEEK 7 - BLOG CHALLENGE - Asparagus!

Almost half way through our challenge and I hope everyone is introducing new vegetables into their diet and enjoying them. Some vegetables may be harder to find than others but asparagus is a constant standby in most grocery stores. Also asparagus is one of those vegetables that is considered the 'CLEAN 15'! You do not have to buy organic asparagus to be free from pesticides with asparagus. So that's an affordable reason to introduce it into your diet!

If you would like to know more about which fruits and vegetables that you can purchase pesticide free I can send you a hand out on the 'Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15'. It is a list of which produce to buy organic and which is not necessary. Sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter and I will send you the list.

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. My kids even like it and they are very picky eaters! If they eat asparagus, then ANYONE will like it. It is easy to cook too - I steam it or roast it and I even BBQ it in the summer. They make great appetizers by simply rolling proscuitto around them and roasting them. Often a hit at parties. Who knew that you could get people eating their veggies at a party! I will share my favorite recipe with you today - it is super easy and yummy.

Did you know that you don't need a knife to slice off the woody ends of the asparagus? All you need to do is snap off the ends of the stocks with your bare hands. They are the easiest vegetable to prepare - wash and snap off the ends!

Pastel drawing

Due to their long narrow form, asparagus looks best in a bunch - a random bunch. Odd numbers of objects look more visually pleasing in a composition than even numbers, so you will notice that I drew 7 asparagus. Placing the vegetables into an interesting arrangement is just as important as capturing the details when drawing. Having one fall across the others at an angle adds interest to an otherwise boring arrangement. I still wanted the arrangement to look natural, not 'set up'. These were fun to draw with their long stocks and textured ends. Asparagus are more colourful than you might anticipate. The cut ends are white with purple and pink tints and the tips can range from dark purple to dark green creating a tonal range from light to dark.

Roasted Asparagus with Almonds.docx

How to get started...
1) Introduce asparagus into your diet this week. Use the recipe provided or find your own.

2) Since this vegetable is long and skinny like a pencil, arrange the stocks to create a picture - or a word! Make WORD ART! Start by snapping off the ends so you have some short stocks and long. Write your name (or another word) using the asparagus stocks. This is an easy way to create. Each stock is like a fat line. The short stocks can be arranged to make curved lines. Remember, I am asking you to play with your food! Then take a photograph of it before eating it!

Keep it simple and have fun and submit your 'creations' to me at lynnldallaire@gmail.com so I can track your progress for your prize!

Share your recipes on Facebook, or email them to me and I can share them too!

Week 6 - Zucchini!

This week we are back to 'green' vegetables, less colourful and more common. Zucchini is part of the squash family of vegetables and those who grow zucchini in their gardens, know how big they can get up here in the north! I have grown zucchini the size of a large spaghetti squash. You can't even give those large zucchini's away - no one wants to deal with that much zucchini!

They don't taste as sweet and juicy when they are large, but they can be grated up and frozen for future zucchini cakes! Baking with grated zucchini is a great way to use up lots of garden zucchini. I was tempted to include my chocolate zucchini cake recipe (gluten-free, dairy free) today, up opted for a simple sauteed recipe instead. After all, my challenge is about introducing vegetables into your diet the easiest way possible. Sauteeing vegetables is about as simple as it gets, and few people have time to bake these days.

*But if you still want my chocolate zucchini cake recipe, email me and I can forward it to you.

Zucchini is another good source of Vitamin C (an antioxidant), especially the yellow zucchinis with their high level of cartenoids. Zucchini has zero cholestorol and no saturated fat so it is a good vegetable for weight reduction as well as lowering your blood pressure.

Pastel drawing.

Well zucchini are relatively easy to draw compared to other vegetables, so this was a quick study! The forms are easily rendered but the shiny surface makes for interesting highlights and the shadows create more visual interest in an otherwise simple composition. Cropping one zucchini helped to divide up the background space into 3 main shapes.

Sautéed Zucchini Recipe.docx

How to get started...
1) Introduce zucchini into your diet this week. Use the recipe provided or find your own.

2) Since this is an easier vegetable to draw - try drawing it - get out your crayons or pastels! If not, be creative with how you cut and slice your zucchini. Cut them into medallions, or diagonally or julienne style (long, thin strips). Of course you can grate them for baking or stirfrys. Why not cut them into a variety of shapes and sizes, and make a picture on your plate with other colour vegetables like peppers. Remember, I am asking you to play with your food! Then take a photograph of it before eating it!

Keep it simple and have fun and submit your 'creations' to me at lynnldallaire@gmail.com so I can track your progress for your prize!

Share your recipes on Facebook, or email them to me and I can share them too!